Behaviour Support in Australian Capital Territory

What behaviour support actually covers

An NDIS behaviour support practitioner works out what is driving behaviours of concern, then writes a behaviour support plan built around changing the situation rather than the person. Where a plan includes a regulated restrictive practice, a much stricter set of rules applies.

How it's funded

Behaviour support sits under Capacity Building, Improved Relationships. It usually covers assessment, writing the plan, training the people who implement it, and review. Training your support workers is part of the job, not an extra.

What to know in Australian Capital Territory

The ACT regulates restrictive practices through the Office of the Senior Practitioner, which sits within the Community Services Directorate and works under the Senior Practitioner Act 2018. Before a provider uses a regulated restrictive practice, the positive behaviour support plan containing it has to be assessed and registered by the Senior Practitioner, and every use of the practice has to be reported. That sits alongside the NDIS Commission's separate role in regulating behaviour support practitioners. Because many Canberra participants receive supports across the NSW border, being clear about which jurisdiction applies matters more here than most places. Registration follows where the participant lives and does not carry across if you move. Ask to see that the plan is registered with the ACT Senior Practitioner before any restrictive practice starts.

Choosing between providers

This is the one service where the state you live in changes the process. The NDIS Commission regulates behaviour support but does not authorise restrictive practices. That sits with each state and territory, and each one runs it differently. Authorisation comes from where the participant lives, and it does not transfer if you move interstate.

Questions worth asking

• Are you registered with the NDIS Commission, and at what suitability level?
• How long until an interim plan, and how long for the comprehensive one?
• Do you know this state's authorisation process for restrictive practices?
• Who trains my support workers in the plan, and is that included?
• How often will you review the plan?

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