Connection Before Correction
Strong, consistent relationships help learners feel secure. Staff take time to understand the individual and build the trust needed to support positive change.
BEHAVIOUR & RELATIONSHIPS
Behaviour is Communication
A relational, trauma-informed approach that looks beyond behaviour to understand need, build trust and help learners develop safer ways to communicate and regulate.
OUR APPROACH
Relationships Come First
Positive behaviour begins with feeling safe, understood and connected.
At The Bridge, we recognise that behaviour rarely happens without a reason. It can be a way of communicating an unmet need, an emotion, a difficulty with regulation or a response to previous experiences.
Our role is not simply to respond to what we see. We work to understand what may be happening underneath the behaviour, while maintaining clear, consistent and safe boundaries for everyone in our community.
LOOKING BEYOND THE BEHAVIOUR
Behaviour is Communication. Relationships Create Change.
When a learner is struggling, our first question is not simply "What have they done?" but also "What might they be communicating?"
Understanding the reason behind behaviour allows staff to respond in a way that supports regulation, restores safety and helps the learner move forward.
RELATIONAL PRACTICE
What Does This Look Like?
Clear & Consistent Boundaries
A relational approach does not mean an absence of boundaries. Learners need adults to be predictable, calm and consistent about what keeps everybody safe.
Need Behind Behaviour
SEND, trauma, communication needs, anxiety, sensory needs and emotional dysregulation can all influence how a learner presents.
Teaching Better Strategies
Learners are supported to recognise emotions, communicate needs, regulate themselves and develop safer ways of responding when situations become difficult.
TRAUMA-INFORMED PRACTICE
Our PACE Approach
PACE provides a framework for responding to learners in a way that protects relationships, reduces confrontation and helps adults remain curious about the need behind behaviour.
P
PLAYFULNESS
Using warmth and appropriate lightness to create connection and reduce tension.
A
ACCEPTANCE
Accepting the learner's feelings and experiences, even when a behaviour itself cannot be accepted.
C
CURIOSITY
Wondering what may be driving a behaviour rather than immediately making assumptions about intent.
E
EMPATHY
Showing the learner that their emotions are recognised and that they do not have to manage them alone.
PREVENTION FIRST
Supporting Regulation Before Crisis
The most effective behaviour support often happens before behaviour escalates.
Staff get to know learners' individual presentations, triggers, communication styles and strategies for regulation. This helps us recognise when somebody may be finding a situation difficult and respond early.
Support is personalised. What helps one learner regulate may not work for another, so staff use their knowledge of the learner alongside individual plans and agreed strategies.
THIS MIGHT INCLUDE
Movement
Time to Reflect
Reduced Language
Sensory Support
Change of Space
Trusted Adults
Clear Choices
Predictable Routines
RESPONDING TO BEHAVIOUR
Responding at the Right Level
GREEN
Positive & Engaged
Learners are regulated, engaging positively and able to access learning and relationships successfully.
OUR RESPONSE
Recognition, encouragement and positive
reinforcement.
YELLOW
Beginning to Struggle
Staff may notice changes in behaviour, communication, engagement or regulation which suggest that a learner needs support.
OUR RESPONSE
Verbal support, reflection, movement and
strategies to help the learner regulate.
ORANGE
Further Support Needed
Behaviour has escalated and the learner may need greater space, support or a change to the immediate situation.
OUR RESPONSE
Time away, appropriate consequences,
parent/carer communication and additional
support.
RED
Safety Comes First
Where behaviour presents a significant concern or risk, staff act to restore safety for the learner and others.
OUR RESPONSE
The learner may be guided from the
environment, the session may end and
their timetable or support may be
reviewed.
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES
Fair Doesn't Always Mean the Same
We have clear expectations for behaviour, but the support needed to meet those expectations may look different for each learner.
Age, SEND, communication needs, developmental stage, previous experiences and individual circumstances may all need to be considered when deciding the most appropriate response.
REPAIR & REFLECTION
What Happens Afterwards Matters
A difficult moment should not define a learner or their relationship with us.
Once everybody is calm and ready, staff help learners reflect on what happened, understand the impact of their actions and consider what could help next time.
Where relationships have been affected, we support repair. The purpose is not to force an apology, but to rebuild trust, develop understanding and help the learner return to their community successfully.
01
Regulate
02
Reflect
03
Repair
04
Reconnect
KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE
Physical Intervention
Our priority is always prevention and de-escalation. Staff use relationships, communication and regulation strategies to reduce the likelihood that a situation reaches crisis.
There may, however, be exceptional situations where physical intervention is necessary to keep a learner or another person safe. Any use of reasonable force must be necessary, proportionate and used for the minimum amount of time required.
Significant incidents are recorded and reviewed, and appropriate communication with parents and carers forms part of our follow-up.
AGE & DEVELOPMENT
Lower & Upper Phase
LOWER PHASE
Learning to Understand Behaviour
In Lower Phase, adults play an important role in helping children recognise emotions, understand boundaries and begin developing the language and strategies needed to regulate.
Responses consider each child's developmental stage and individual needs, with adults modelling the safe, respectful behaviour we want children to develop.
Lower Phase Behaviour Policy
UPPER PHASE
Developing Responsibility & Regulation
In Upper Phase, learners are increasingly supported to understand the impact of their choices, recognise their own regulation needs and develop strategies they can use more independently.
Staff continue to provide relational support and clear boundaries while preparing learners for the expectations they will encounter beyond The Bridge.
Upper Phase Behaviour Policy
WORKING WITH FAMILIES
Parents & Carers Are Part of the Team
Understanding behaviour works best when the adults around a learner communicate with one another. Parents and carers hold valuable knowledge about their child, including what may trigger anxiety or dysregulation and the strategies that work well at home.
We will communicate with families when significant behavioural concerns arise and, where necessary, work together to review the learner's support.
NEED TO TALK?
Speak to Us
If you have a concern about your child's behaviour, wellbeing or the support they receive, please contact their centre or a member of their team.
Contact The Bridge