Frequently Asked Questions
NDIS Behaviour Support is a funded service for participants whose disability is associated with behaviours of concern that create risk to the participant or others and significantly impact their quality of life and community participation. Behaviours of concern can include self-injurious behaviour, aggression toward others, property destruction, elopement, and other behaviours that reflect significant underlying distress or unmet need. Behaviour support is funded under the NDIS Capacity Building budget under Improved Relationships and is provided by registered behaviour support practitioners. It is available to participants of all ages and disability types whose plans include this funding category.
A Positive Behaviour Support Plan is a comprehensive, evidence-based document developed by a registered behaviour support practitioner following a functional behaviour assessment. It includes a profile of the participant’s strengths and needs, a description of behaviours of concern and their functions, proactive strategies to prevent behaviours occurring, skill-building strategies to develop alternative behaviours, reactive strategies for managing behaviours when they do occur, and where applicable, details of regulated restrictive practices with authorisation documentation and reduction plans. The plan is developed collaboratively with the participant, family, and support team and written in accessible language that support workers can implement in practice.
Regulated restrictive practices are specific interventions that restrict the rights or freedom of movement of NDIS participants. Under the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission framework, they include seclusion, physical restraint, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and environmental restraint. Grace Care manages all regulated restrictive practices in strict compliance with NDIS Commission requirements, including obtaining appropriate authorisation, implementing only within the behaviour support plan, comprehensive documentation, mandatory reporting, and maintaining active reduction plans aimed at eliminating restrictive practices over time. Restrictive practices are always a last resort at Grace Care, never a convenience measure.
A functional behaviour assessment is the foundation of effective behaviour support. Grace Care’s registered practitioners conduct assessments through a combination of structured interviews with the participant, family, and support workers, direct observation of the participant across relevant settings, review of existing documentation and reports, and consultation with allied health professionals and other members of the participant’s support team. The assessment identifies the specific behaviours of concern, their frequency and intensity, the settings and circumstances in which they occur, the apparent function they serve for the participant, and the contributing factors that maintain them. This comprehensive understanding is what allows the support plan to address root causes rather than just manage surface behaviour.
Timeline varies significantly depending on the nature and history of the behaviours, the consistency of plan implementation, the stability of the participant’s support environment, and the underlying contributing factors being addressed. Some participants show meaningful improvement within weeks of consistent plan implementation while others with more complex presentations may require months of sustained, well-coordinated support before significant change is measurable. Grace Care sets realistic expectations with families from the outset and uses data collection to track progress objectively, adjusting strategies when evidence indicates a different approach is needed.
How does Grace Care ensure behaviour support plans are implemented consistently across all settings?
Consistency of implementation is one of the most critical factors in behaviour support effectiveness. Grace Care addresses this through comprehensive training for all support workers and family carers who interact with the participant, practical coaching during the implementation phase, clear written strategies in accessible language, regular supervisory check-ins with the support team, data collection systems that make implementation monitoring objective, and formal plan reviews that assess and address implementation gaps. We also consult with schools, day programs, and other settings where behaviours are occurring to ensure strategies are applied consistently across environments.
Call us on 1300 069 338 or email info@grace-care.com.au to make a behaviour support referral or enquiry. We will conduct an initial intake conversation to understand the participant’s situation and the urgency of the referral, confirm behaviour support funding in the participant’s NDIS plan, and arrange assessment commencement as quickly as possible. For urgent situations involving immediate safety concerns, call us directly and we will prioritise your referral for an interim plan response. We serve participants across Greater Sydney and respond promptly to all behaviour support enquiries.