Tiered Approach
What Is a Tiered Approach?
The Tiered Support Approach helps identify the varying levels of support needed within organisations, specific services, and school settings. This framework consists of three tiers, designed to address the full spectrum of support requirements.
The core idea is to begin with baseline strategies—these are essential, everyday practices that should be implemented consistently. Sometimes, the gap in support lies in the day-to-day strategies, and our approach helps to pinpoint this. Once we establish that the foundational strategies are in place, we can assess and determine the next level of tailored, individualised support needed.
This tiered approach allows us to support organisations in implementing behavior support across their entire framework, whether in a specific service or school setting. By using this model, we can ensure that each individual receives the appropriate level of support, from general strategies to more specialised, individualised interventions.
Tier 1
Creating personalised environments, providing staff training, looking at proactive and a preventative culture of staff. Looking at the day-to-day support that is in place. Looking at the well-being of the individuals being supported, before the behaviours.
Ensuring that environments are fit for purpose—whether that means creating low-arousal spaces or making other adjustments to support specific needs. With a focus on strong leadership and effective management practices to maintain high standards of care and practice.
Tier 2
A more Tailored Approach is used when individuals display higher levels of distress or challenging behaviors, requiring a more in-depth behavior assessment and individualised interventions.
In this tier, interventions may be provided on an individual or group basis, depending on the specific setting and the person’s needs. A brief behavior assessment is often conducted to identify the function of lower-level behaviors, helping us to understand the underlying causes and better tailor the support strategies.
This approach ensures that interventions are not only responsive but also focused on the specific challenges and goals of the individual, leading to more effective, long-term outcomes.
Tier 3
For individuals with more complex or distressed behaviors, a detailed and comprehensive behavior assessment is necessary to fully understand the underlying causes of the behaviors. This assessment forms the foundation for behaviour support and intervention planning, as well as the development of behavioral risk assessments to ensure safety and well-being.
In this tier, personalised training for staff or caregivers may be required to ensure they are equipped with the skills and strategies needed to support the individual effectively.
We will also implement bespoke data collection and recording systems to track behaviors and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. This may involve reviewing and refining current data processes to ensure they are aligned with the goals of the support plan.
Additionally, more regular check-ins will be necessary to monitor progress, refine strategies, and ensure that support is responsive to the evolving needs of the individual.