SCHOOLS & MULTI-AGENCY CONSULTANCY
Behaviour Support Consultancy for Schools & Residential Services
Specialist behavioural formulation, HIQA-aligned Positive Behaviour Support plans, and staff de-escalation training, led by a Chartered Behavioural Psychologist (PSI) and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst.
Structured around HIQA & Tusla standards
Whole-school & team in-service training
Restrictive practice reduction
Starts with a scoping call to discuss your setting, staff capacity, and timelines.
Evidence-Led Behaviour Support for Complex Environments
🐝 Managing high-intensity distress, placement instability, and ongoing classroom disruption requires systemic formulation, not isolated tips. Led by Catherine (Katie) Smyth, MSc, BCBA, PSI Chartered Behavioural Psychologist, The Behaviour Hive partners with schools, residential care providers, and community services to embed sustainable, least-restrictive behaviour support systems.
🐝 We help teams move from reactive crisis management to structured, trauma-informed, proactive support. Every assessment looks at the environment as well as the individual, builds functional communication alternatives, and includes clear checks that the plan is being followed in practice. Our work is designed around the standards Irish services are inspected against.
Consultancy Services
Designated Centres & Residential Care
Behaviour support for disability services, residential centres for children, and supported living environments.
Key Points:
HIQA-Aligned Plans: Multi-element PBS plans structured around the HIQA and Tusla standards your service is inspected against.
Restrictive Practice Review: Systematic review and reduction planning for physical and environmental restrictive practices, as part of your multidisciplinary oversight.
Shift-Team Coaching: Practical coaching for keyworkers and social care leaders to maintain continuity across rotas.
Special Schools, Special Classes & Mainstream Settings
Classroom-level and individual pupil formulation for special schools, special classes, mainstream primary schools, and early years settings.
Key Points:
Whole-Class Antecedents: Environmental restructuring to reduce sensory stressors, difficult transitions, and peer escalation.
SNA & Teacher Handover: Actionable, non-punitive support plans designed for practical use during the school day.
School Attendance Difficulties: Functional, multidisciplinary plans to support pupils experiencing severe school-based distress and avoidance.
Staff In-Service & Professional CPD
Interactive CPD workshops that give front-line teams practical tools they can use straight away.
Key Points:
Croke Park Hours & In-Service Days: Tailored workshops on de-escalation and functional communication.
Compassionate PBS: Moving from compliance-based models to neuro-affirming, assent-based support.
Staff Wellbeing & Team Longevity: Evidence-based frameworks to reduce staff burnout and incident fatigue.
How We Work With Your Team
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Scoping & Background Review
DescriInitial review of incident records (ABC data), relevant inspection requirements, staff rotas, and previous clinical reports.
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On-Site Direct Observation
Unobtrusive clinical observation across higher-risk routines such as mealtimes, unstructured periods, and transitions, to map environmental stressors.
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Multi-Element PBS Formulation
A transparent, practical behaviour support plan emphasising proactive adjustments, active skill teaching, and safety-focused de-escalation.
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Staff Handover & Follow-Up Review
On-site coaching, modelling strategies with your team, and structured follow-up reviews to check the plan is working in practice and to track incident trends over time.
Who Leads the Work
Catherine (Katie) Smyth, MSc, BCBA
a PSI Chartered Behavioural Psychologist and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, with over a decade of clinical experience across the New England Center for Children in Boston, multidisciplinary teams in the UAE, and Ireland's residential care system.
Questions From Schools & Services
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Yes. Our multi-element PBS plans and environmental assessments are structured around the HIQA regulations and standards for designated centres for people with disabilities, and the national standards that apply to residential centres for children, with an explicit emphasis on least restrictive practice and multidisciplinary oversight. Compliance remains the responsibility of the registered provider. Our role is to give your team the clinical documentation and day-to-day practice that support it.
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Yes. We deliver tailored in-service training (Croke Park hours for schools, full or half-day CPD for residential teams) covering functional assessment, trauma-informed antecedent strategies, proactive de-escalation, and post-incident reviews.
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Yes. We carry out on-site behavioural observations, environmental reviews, and case conferences across County Kildare, Dublin, and the wider Leinster area. We also provide hybrid and remote case consultation nationwide.
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We offer flexible billing for organisations: either fixed-fee case assessment packages (including direct observation, FBA report, and staff handover) or day and half-day rates for ongoing organisational support.