We have been busy at Bild trying to think of ways that we can support your organisation during the Covid-19 pandemic. We know this is a really difficult time and you are trying to carry on, supporting people in the best possible way.

To keep your teams’ skills updated and focused on quality of life for the individuals they support, we have developed a new online toolkit. This kit includes six Maintaining Capable Environments packs, all designed to complement our face to face programmes.

The packs are designed to be delivered in team settings, supported by a practice leader or PBS coach. They provide an opportunity for staff development that does not stretch budgets or capacity levels.

There will be six packs available through online subscription and you can choose which your team needs, and in which order they do them. You can buy just one or two of the packs, or the full toolkit. The packs will be updated every year so they reflect the latest evidence based practice.

You can download and use them as many times as you want. They are all linked and provide a coherent package to work through at your teams’ own pace. Each pack in the toolkit can be delivered in one session (approx. two hours) or in three shorter sessions – whatever suits your teams.

Each pack includes:

• a stop and start webinar, pre-recorded by an expert practitioner. Each webinar gives the team the underpinning knowledge and supports team members to learn a key skill. The outcome of each webinar develops team and individual competence to use a tool that will improve quality of life for people being supported
• A workbook with templates for activities for each participant
• Facilitator guidance

They are aimed at direct support staff and develop further skills and knowledge around key areas of Positive Behaviour Support. Each pack will cover a specific area that supports the development of capable environments.

These packs are complementary to, but do not replace any basic PBS training that people have done previously. They further develop areas of knowledge that have been introduced on basic programmes and that can have a significant impact on someone’s quality of life.

Developing and maintaining a capable environment is a concept based on a number of evidence-based approaches associated with reducing behaviour that challenges.

This approach promises substantial quality of life improvements for individuals, better work environments for staff and a reduction in the costs associated with specialist care and out-of-area placements.

The six Maintaining Capable Environments packs can be purchased individually or as a full toolkit. The topics are:

1. Total communication and predictable environments by Jane Johnson, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
   Improve the team understanding of someone’s communication preferences
2. Supporting people to choose the life they want by Tom Evans, PBS Lead at Bild
   Teach your team to do a quality of life audit for someone you support
3. Sensory considerations to maximise participation and quality of life by Susan Fowler, Occupational Therapist and author of Sensory Stimulation and Multisensory Rooms and Environments
   Learn how to understand people's sensory preferences and manage the environment so they can participate in community activities without stress occurring
4. Active Support and Increasing Meaningful Engagement by Andrew Guy and Dr Edwin Jones
   We all need to have interesting things to do - develop an achievable activity plan to increase someone’s meaningful engagement
5. Staying well: Supporting people with their health and wellbeing by Siobhan Rogan, RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year in 2017
   Build a wellbeing plan to help a person you support to stay well and access healthcare
6. Building and maintaining a good rapport by Maria Hurman

Each pack in the toolkit costs £495 plus VAT, or you can buy the full toolkit with all six packs for £2,495 plus VAT. There is a 10% discount for Bild organisation members.