Community of Practice name: Hertfordshire PBS CoP

Location: Hertfordshire

Aims and Function of the Hertfordshire PBS CoP:

The core aim of this Community of Practice is for those in Hertfordshire who share an interest in PBS to join together to improve practice, by sharing information, building relationships and networks, engaging in joint discussions and learning from each other.

More specifically, the CoP aims to:

• Develop and coproduce a shared repertoire of resources, experiences, stories, tools – a ‘shared practice’.
• Share information, both within and outside of the CoP, to support a Hertfordshire-wide understanding of what good PBS is.
• Regularly promote and share examples of best practice in PBS amongst CoP members.
• Identify barriers / challenges / gaps / needs in relation to PBS in Hertfordshire and agree appropriate collaborative actions and ways forward in relation to these.
• Form a collective voice to share key themes and outcomes from the Hertfordshire PBS CoP with Hertfordshire Commissioners and with other relevant individuals or services.
• Communicate issues, ideas and concerns being discussed at a local level at a national level, via representation for the Hertfordshire PBS CoP at the BILD UK PBS Alliance forums.
• Share ideas, resources and possible solutions, in response to national PBS themes that are presented to the CoP for feedback by the BILD UK PBS Alliance.
• Work together on agreed areas of development to improve PBS practice in Hertfordshire.

Previous Activities (organised in response to CoP feedback / requests):

• A PBS Good Practice Conference.
• Regular newsletters (2-4 times per year) - These all contain a CoP update, an educational component and a 'Herts PBS Voices' best practice story from experts by experience or practitioners.
• Educational sessions on ‘What is PBS?’ for family carers.
• CPD webinars - Examples of previous sessions include: Professor Edwin Jones talking to us about his experience of CoP’s and also about Active Support; and Dr Nick Gore and Debbie Austin facilitating a discussion about the refreshed UK PBS Definition, from their 2022 ‘Positive Behavioural Support in the UK: A State of the Nation Report’.
• Networking / share space events – These are forums where members have come together face-to-face to engage in discussion and share best practice. Some of the activities undertaken so far include: working together on a shared understanding of what good PBS looks like; highlighting challenges / barriers to implementing PBS across the County; and generating ideas for service development work to overcome identified barriers / challenges.

Who can join/ who the community is for:

The CoP is open to anyone in Hertfordshire who has an interest in PBS. It is free to join.

Link to webpage: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/pbs

Primary contact: Please email [email protected] if you would like to join the CoP or would like further information.