Behaviour support
If a child or young person is having extreme and ongoing behaviour challenges, your schools or early learning service get help from your local Behaviour Support team.
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- Who to contact
- Support to manage challenging behaviour
- How behaviour support works
- Behaviour support options
- Other behaviour supports
- More information
Who to contact
Early years
Early intervention services can provide support for families and early childhood educators who are concerned about the behaviours of younger children until they start school.
Support can be requested by contacting your local Ministry office.
School-aged students
The behaviour support service is for students in Years 1 to 10 who behave in a way that:
- significantly affects their learning
- risks their safety or the safety of other people
- gets in the way of positive relationships with other people.
Support can be requested by contacting your local Ministry office.
Support to manage challenging behaviour
Where possible, schools manage challenging behaviour by preventing dangerous situations developing or using de-escalation techniques to calm things down.
Responding to ākonga distress without restraint
These guidelines provide a practical approach to recognising and responding to distress and challenging behaviour.
How behaviour support works
The Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua framework is a dynamic and responsive model of supports that guides focused responses with clusters, schools, kura and early learning services.
This approach is deliberate about embedding learning supports that are more proactive and collaborative into day-to-day teaching and learning.
A lead practitioner will work with staff, ākonga, whānau, and specialists such as psychologists, resource teachers learning and behaviour (RTLB), speech language therapists and kaitakawaenga to come to a shared understanding and codesign tailored support together. The lead practitioner will support the process and facilitate the engagement and collaboration of all significantly involved.
As part of Te Tūāpapa o He Pikorua, professional learning and development can also be provided to support your school or early learning service.
Behaviour support options
Understanding Behaviour, Responding Safely workshops
The Understanding Behaviour, Responding Safely (UBRS) workshop is delivered in modules for whole-school staff groups focusing on prevention and de-escalation strategies.
It is delivered by trained staff who are experienced in behaviour management and who will also provide on-going support.
Request this training from your local Ministry office.
Other training
Some of the students with the most challenging behaviours will have specific physical intervention and restraint techniques in their individual student plans.
Where the Ministry is part of the team supporting such a student, specific training for staff in using those techniques is available.
For an individual child
The behaviour service is an extension of the behaviour support available from your local Learning Support team. It is designed to provide schools with immediate, skilled support in emergency behaviour situations around an individual child.
This service complements the Interim Response Fund.
Behaviour service support information for teachers and schools
Behaviour service support information for parents and caregivers
Interim Response Fund
The Interim Response Fund is funding for a short-term response.
It can be used to provide additional resources to schools when a student’s challenging behaviour reaches a crisis point. This fund is available to keep students engaged in learning following a significantly challenging behavioural event. It gives funding for a short term response while a more comprehensive intervention plan is developed.
Responding after a crisis
Traumatic incident teams deal with supporting schools and early learning services following a crisis or emergency, whether caused by people or by natural disasters.
Traumatic incidents are those that impact on the functioning and wellbeing of those involved with the school and its systems.
Students needing more intensive support
Some children and young people have highly complex and challenging behavioural, social and/or learning needs.
They need extra help and support, which can be provided through our Te Kahu Tōī Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS).
Te Kahu Tōī Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS)
Other behaviour supports
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) supports schools to promote positive behaviour and create inclusive learning environments that foster wellbeing and achievement for all children and young people.
There are a number of programmes available to improve the behaviour and wellbeing of children and young people.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) – TKI(external link)
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