Wargrave House believes that by using proactive strategies within a carefully structured and monitored curriculum, many challenging behaviours can be reduced. Proactive strategies are designed to produce change over time.
Our primary role is the identification and amelioration of those behaviours which may severely limit the child or young person’s ability to learn and develop and which, if left unchanged, would restrict that individual’s breadth and experience in the world.
In cases where challenging behaviour persists and cannot be supported within the proactive framework, reactive strategies may need to be employed and an individual behaviour support plan established. Individual behaviour support plans are drawn up by the multi-disciplinary team of professionals who work regularly alongside the child or young person and include consultation with parents/carers. Targets established are reviewed on a daily basis with evaluation of the plan as a whole taking place after a set period of time.
It is recognised that there will be a small number of occasions when some form of physical intervention may be necessary in order to gain rapid and safe control and to enable the child or young person to gain personal control. All staff are aware of the Principle of Paramouncy, acting with the best interests of the child or young person in mind. Staff are trained in appropriate Team-Teach interventions to support this. The school has 2 fully trained Team-Teach tutors to ensure staff are fully up-to-date and familiar with appropriate techniques.
All staff at Wargrave House School have undertaken an accredited training course in the Team-Teach methodology.
Team-Teach is a positive handling strategy including a wide range of gradual and graded supports and interventions. Over 95% of these relate to diversion, diffusion and de-escalation. In a small minority of instances physical interventions may be used to keep people safe while other positive handling strategies continue.
In the Team-Teach approach physical interventions are not an alternative to de-escalation, they are an integral part of the Wargrave House holistic approach to supporting behaviour.
If you require further information or have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact Stuart Jamieson (Head of Education) at school.
Claire Thompson – Teacher & Behaviour Lead