Abstract:
Organisations that provide disability services require a valid and reliable tool which allows them to undertake evidence based approaches to reduce the frequency of physical restraint. There is an abundance of research in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis to support achievement in these areas. One tool that is a result of this research is the Behavioural Systems Analysis Toolkit. This study explored the impact of recommendations yielded by conducting a behavioural systems analysis using this toolkit on reducing the frequency of restraints applied in a disability support service organisation. The analysis involved the review of relevant documents (i.e., organisation policies, procedures, and business plans) and interviewing relevant stakeholders/employees about the roles, responsibilities, and processes involved in the delivery of the organisation’s services. While the immediate impacts of the recommendations were minimal, the organisation’s leadership team highly rated the value of the insights gleaned from the recommendations and measures of social validity indicate that participation in the process was well received. Early indications of the impact of this research suggest that for an organisation of this size, a multi-year implementation and evaluation would be required when undertaking large-scale system level changes. Further research into the longitudinal impact of the full or partial implementation of the recommendations yielded from this type of analysis is recommended.
