Behaviour management and therapeutic support

Oliver House School promotes good behaviour through continued one-to-one support and the use of positive rewards. We accept that challenging behaviour may be a sign of internal distress, anxiety and attempts to communicate and therefore aim to build effective communication systems to reduce anxiety and promote improved behaviour.

We view the promotion of good behaviour as integral to improving students’ learning outcomes and life chances. All staff are fully trained in effective diffusion techniques and the school has been specifically designed as a low arousal environment.

Every young person requiring a behavioural support plan has this reviewed and documented at their multiagency educational review. If an occasion arises that requires the school to implement the use of physical intervention support, this is employed only as a last resort, using approved Team Teach as well as reactive strategies to support young people.

Oliver House School has Team Teach instructors authorised to train staff and a program of subsequent refresher courses are maintained.

Therapeutic support

Our children and young people have access to a range of therapies including speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, to facilitate the development of functional communication skills.

Alternative and augmentative communication systems are developed to involve objects of reference, photographs, symbols, signing, picture exchange and picture pointing.

We also employ a full time Behaviour Analyst who monitors young people’s challenging behaviours and programmes are written individually to combat these.