Supporting Inexperienced and Less Qualified Staff with Behaviour

In the face of staff shortages and an ongoing recruitment and retention crisis, our sectors are increasingly relying on less experienced or less qualified 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, less experienced staff may not always have the knowledge, skills, or understanding to effectively support behaviour, which can sometimes lead to escalation and heightened risk.

Supporting staff that are less experienced or not fully qualified 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 these staff members in our organisations?

Challenges for less experienced or less qualified 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 staff.

Across a team, staff members will undoubtedly have varying levels of experience, skills, and expertise, depending on their background. Often, despite best intentions, less experienced or less qualified staff 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.

Supporting less experienced staff with behaviour

To ensure that less experienced or less qualified staff are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and understanding they need to support behaviour, and to maximise the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our organisations, it is imperative that we identify ways to support them.

Of course, every context is different, but these steps can be adapted to provide a useful starting point for staff support and development.

1: Provide ongoing training

Without the relevant qualifications or professional development, staff members might feel unsure about how to approach certain situations, particularly in relation to behaviour.

By providing regular training sessions on behaviour support, including personalised de-escalation strategies, relationship-building, risk reduction, and emotional regulation, we can help build confidence in handling challenging situations.

Depending on need, and factors such as budget and capacity, training and CPD can either be provided in-house or, through external providers and specialists.

2: Encourage team collaboration and peer support

We can encourage staff to collaborate, by holding regular team meetings where they can share experiences and discuss strategies for supporting behaviour. In education and health and social care settings, fostering a sense of teamwork helps reduce feelings of isolation and provides a vital support network for staff, especially those who may lack experience.

Peer support in particular can be a valuable tool for staff development, especially when practitioners may feel unsure or lacking in confidence. For example, the education survey company, Teacher Tapp in the UK, found that that peer support, whether through informal mentoring or structured collaborative networks, improves staff wellbeing and is effective in helping practitioners manage the day-to-day challenges they may face in the workplace.

This insight is invaluable, not only for educators but also for staff in the healthcare and social care sectors; when employees can turn to their colleagues for advice, share experiences, or receive emotional support, they are more likely to feel empowered and confident in their roles.

3: Promote reflective practice and supervision

Encouraging regular reflection on their experiences allows staff members to assess the effectiveness of their behaviour support strategies and identify areas where further development may be required. Less experienced or less qualified staff, can benefit enormously from this type of reflective process as it helps them recognise patterns, understand the impact of their actions, and adjust their approaches to behaviour support.

Offering regular supervision sessions provides a dedicated time for staff to discuss any challenges they face, ask questions, and receive constructive feedback. These sessions are particularly important for our less experienced and less qualified staff, as they may lack the confidence or experience to approach complex situations independently. Supervision offers them guidance, helps them build their skillset, and supports their professional development, all of which enables them to grow and develop in their role.

4: Develop clear communication and expectations

Establishing clear communication channels ensures that staff in education, health, and social care know how to report concerns, document behaviour incidents, and seek guidance when needed.

Clear expectations should be set out in policy and acknowledge the different skill levels of staff, especially those who are not fully qualified. Open communication is also essential for staff to feel comfortable asking for help when needed and ensuring they don’t feel overwhelmed. Establishing an open-door policy is one way of enabling everyone in an organisation to feel seen, heard and supported.

5: Foster relationships and adaptability

Building strong, trusting relationships with those we support, can help us to effectively support behaviour. When individuals trust us and feel comfortable with us, they may be more likely to respond positively when they are distressed.

Encouraging staff to be flexible and adaptable in their approach to behaviour support, particularly in unpredictable environments, helps them develop a toolkit of strategies that can be adjusted based on an individual’s needs and context. This adaptability is key in both education and health and social care settings, where we may regularly encounter a range of behaviour that needs support.

Empowering our inexperienced or less than fully qualified staff to thrive

Supporting our less experienced or less qualified staff in their roles, especially when it comes to behaviour support, is crucial for ensuring both the wellbeing of individuals and the overall quality of care or education we provide.

By offering ongoing training, encouraging collaboration and peer support, promoting reflective practice, setting up clear communication channels, and fostering strong relationships, we can equip all our staff with the tools they need to navigate any situation confidently, and enhance their contribution to creating safe, supportive and positive environments.