Supporting Unqualified Staff with Behaviour

In the face of staff shortages and an ongoing recruitment and retention crisis, our sectors are increasingly relying on unqualified or less experienced staff to fill vital roles. While this can help mitigate immediate gaps in provision, it can also create significant challenges, especially when it comes to supporting behaviour.

As practitioners working in education, health, and social care, we sometimes find ourselves navigating difficult situations and supporting distressed behaviour, to protect individuals’ wellbeing and reduce risk. Effective de-escalation relies on strong relationships and being confident in identifying potential behaviour support strategies for those in our care.

However, unqualified staff may not always have the knowledge, skills, or understanding to effectively support behaviour, which can sometimes lead to escalation and heightened risk.

Supporting unqualified staff is not only critical for their personal development but also for the overall quality of service, education or care we provide. It is crucial, then, that we foster environments where all staff can thrive.

So how can we, as leaders, support unqualified staff in our organisations?

Challenges for unqualified staff in education, health, and social care

Although the characteristics and contexts of the education, health, and social care sectors may differ, they often share similar issues around the deployment of unqualified staff.

Unqualified staff can have varying levels of experience, skills, and expertise, depending on their background. Often, despite their best intentions, they are sometimes expected to manage the day-to-day demands of their positions without the necessary training or qualifications.

For example, staff may find themselves responsible for the care of an individual or group of people without the presence of a qualified member of staff. In some cases, they may not know them well or have insight into individuals’ specific needs.

In these situations, some may struggle to support behaviour, implement appropriate strategies, or offer effective emotional support.

No matter what the sector, the result is that individuals can become distressed or dysregulated, leading to escalating and unsafe situations. This can pose a serious risk to both individuals and staff and detrimentally impact the learning or care environment.