The Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Team
Vince Squance – Positive Behaviour Support Lead and CPI Safety Interventions Instructor
Vince leads the PBS Team and has worked in education in both SEND and mainstream schools since 2000. He joined Cann Bridge School in 2015 and has worked as both a TA and teacher during this time. Vince is passionate about working with staff to help them support learners to flourish.
Fern Zubka-Hill – CPI Safety Interventions Trainer and Trauma Informed Practice Lead
Fern started at Cann Bridge as an apprentice in 2014. Since then she worked as a HLTA and is passionate about developing trauma informed practice across the school.
Cody Kokal – CPI Safety Interventions Trainer
Cody has been working in SEND schools since 2017 and came to Cann Bridge in 2023. Cody has interest in Trauma Informed Practice and Early Years Education.
The Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Team supports staff with training and advice to ensure the school has an embedded ethos of Positive Behaviour Support. In terms of philosophy and practice PBS is:
- Not a single strategy. It is a combination of CPI Safety Intervention approaches, trauma informed practices and sensory approaches.
- It is a learner-centred approach to behaviour.
- It is rooted in respecting and understanding the learner’s personality and needs, and focused on encouraging choice, promoting safety, and engagement.
- It sets reasonable boundaries and limits but is not punitive.
- It seeks to be proactive rather than reactive by looking to identify causes of anxiety and meet the learner’s needs before challenging behaviours occur.
- It seeks to support and prepare learners not just for the short term, but also the long term.
- Is a collaborative and evidence-based approach and takes the effectiveness and importance of role-modelling seriously.
Our staff are expected to exhibit the principles of PBS in their day-to-day practice, and to support this, receive CPD in CPI Safety Interventions, trauma informed practice, PACE and sensory approaches to support engagement and positive behaviour.
To learn more about our Behaviour Policy, please click here.
Trauma Informed School
At Cann Bridge School we are committed to fostering a nurturing and respectful school community that prioritises the well-being of its learners and staff. To achieve this, we endeavour to develop and embed a Trauma-Informed approach across all aspects of school life for our learners, implementing Trauma-Informed practices and principles to support their holistic growth and development.
We adhere to the following six principles of Trauma-Informed practice:
- Safety: We prioritise the physical, psychological, and emotional safety of our learners and staff by creating an environment where individuals feel secure, supported, and free from harm.
- Trust: We build trust among our school community by maintaining transparency in our policies, procedures, and actions, and by consistently delivering on our commitments.
- Choice: We empower learners by involving them in decision-making processes, respecting their preferences and autonomy, and providing them with opportunities to make choices that contribute to their healing and growth.
- Collaboration: We recognise the value of collaboration and peer support in overcoming challenges and improving our systems. We actively involve learners, staff, and families in decision-making processes and seek their input in shaping our practices.
- Empowerment: We strive to empower learners and staff by validating their experiences, supporting their decision-making autonomy, and fostering a sense of agency and self-worth.
- Cultural Consideration: We acknowledge and respect the diverse cultural backgrounds and identities of our learners and staff. We ensure that our policies, protocols, and practices are responsive to the unique needs and preferences of individuals from all cultural backgrounds
To learn more about our Trauma Informed Policy, please click here.