Donate

Consultancy

We offer high-quality advice and practical support in four key areas: Engaging and listening to families; Building local capacity; Positive Behavioural Support Workshops; and, Involving families in research.

The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has 20 years’ experience and expertise in supporting family carers of children and adults with a severe learning disability. The CBF is led by a family carer and we have families represented at every level across the organisation and all of our projects providing valuable input from lived experience.

We provide information and conduct case-work with over 500 families every year. We have contact with thousands of families through our peer-support, campaigning and information networks. We want to use our strengths in understanding and engaging families to help you bring about the changes we all want to see.

 

 

 

 

Engaging and listening to families

We are aware that many organisations hoping to improve services for people with a severe learning disability and their families have difficulty engaging with families. Families of people with severe learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges are likely to be amongst those most isolated from support networks and hard to reach by standard consultation methods. Many families who contact us report that they feel isolated, disempowered and disconnected from local support and groups, and are put off from engagement by poor past experiences. However, our experience is that with the right investment it is entirely possible to work with families, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, are naturally solution-focussed and can become powerful allies.

The CBF is able to:

  • Design, produce and distribute information resources for local families
  • Facilitate family consultations and focus groups
  • Engage families in steering groups and projects
  • Provide tailored advice on involving families in your work

Download our brochure: Engaging and listening to families

Building local capacity

With the Transforming Care programme and SEND reforms underway, now is an excellent time to build local services that provide positive, community-based support for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and their family carers.  Understanding the needs of families and integrating them into the design of new services is crucial in delivering a system that will work for everyone. At the Challenging Behaviour Foundation we can help you carry out the ground research and engage families in your plans.

The CBF is able to:

  • Engage families in service design and feedback events
  • Provide advice on setting up new peer-to-peer support services
  • Support the sharing of information and best-practice between professionals and families

Download our brochure: Building local capacity

Positive Behavioural Support Workshops

Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) is an evidence-based psychological approach that puts the person at the forefront of care and tries to understand the underlying causes of behaviour. The Challenging Behaviour Foundation is able to offer a unique workshop experience featuring both a trained PBS professional and a family carer. The interaction between professionals and families results in not only a full theoretical background of the approach but also the practical tips and knowledge needed for immediate use.

Download our brochure: Positive Behavioural Support Workshops

Read more about our workshops on our website

Involving families in research

The Challenging Behaviour Foundation is able to co-produce research and support researchers to involve family carers at different stages of research projects.

Download our brochure: Involving families in research

Other information

Requests for consultancy are considered on an individual basis and our ability to offer consultancy may vary depending on other commitments.

For more information, contact us on 01634 838 739 or info@thecbf.org.uk

About us

About us

Find out all about the CBF and the people who work in the organisation. See also our vacancies, details of how we are funded, and our annual report.

Our position statement

Our position statement

A brief introduction to how the CBF provides help for people with severe learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges, with useful links to other parts of the website.

Projects and research

Projects and research

The CBF aims to improve lives for individuals with severe learning disabilities who display behaviour that challenges through our project work, using new approaches and encouraging others to learn from this work and improve their practices.