Positive Behaviour Support Jobs: What to Look For in the Right Organisation

A positive behaviour support job is what you are looking for but how do you know you have found a good company? Here are the signs to look for in a supportive company and some factors that might be a problem for you.

Why the right PBS organisation matters

To really build your career in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) you need an organisation which supports you in the same positive way in which you work to support your clients.

As a behaviour support practitioner, you have a direct impact on a person’s quality of life — this is a significant responsibility. The organisation you work for has to invest in your wellbeing and professional development with the same level of seriousness. Every person has unique needs and goals, whether it be the clients you work with or the colleagues you work alongside. The best PBS organisations provide exceptional clinical guidance and organisational support so that your clients are served in a truly empowering way.

These organisations create a culture where you feel supported and valued, where caseloads are managed carefully and you are empowered to do your best work. It’s important for PBS practitioners to feel safe and to know their organisation invests in their long term wellbeing and career progression.

What a supportive organisation looks like

They invest in their people

A supportive organisation will proactively support your learning and development through structured frameworks and opportunities, such as offering industry-specific training and professional development guidance. You will get internal support as you navigate the NQSC PBS Capability Framework and as you progress from Core practitioner to Proficient and Advanced/Specialist. These organisations invest in you by providing individual, weekly clinical supervision, as well as the opportunity to learn from diverse skillsets and experience in the organisation.

They value quality over volume

Supportive organisations never place the size of your client case load above your wellbeing. They recognise that it takes time to become fluent in the PBS role. They provide intensive support when you are a newer practitioner to help you find your feet in the role. You will have a committed and supportive clinical mentor, so your clients experience high quality services from Day 1 as you are gaining knowledge.

They support clinical excellence and evidence-based practice

Leaders in clinical excellence provide best practice guidelines and training to ensure all parts of your behaviour support work are of the highest standard and align with evidence-based practices. They don’t leave you guessing — they clearly define what is expected and provide the support you need to reach the highest standard possible.

They create an empowering, collaborative and supportive culture

Top PBS organisations create empowering cultures which proactively welcome feedback and reflection. They provide opportunities for you to express concerns and receive support to overcome barriers in your work. They encourage healthy boundaries, create realistic expectations and have a strong culture of respect. Collaboration is actively encouraged. Safety is a priority in these organisations, with robust occupational health and safety policies as well as training for PBS practitioners to ensure you are safe on the job.

Potential concerns to keep in mind

Limited supervision

Every practitioner providing NDIS behaviour support requires formal supervision — it’s not optional, and failure to engage in formal supervision can put your suitability at risk, and could result in substandard outcomes for the people you support. Quality PBS organisations will provide you with quality clinical supervision.

Unrealistic workload expectations

As a contractor, it’s realistic that you’d be expected to reach certain targets, however this should not be at the expense of your wellbeing or the quality of care you deliver to participants. Supportive organisations will define realistic caseloads. They will keep track of your wellbeing and ability to support these clients, providing additional support when needed.

Lack of clarity around compliance and processes

As registered NDIS providers, failure to meet NDIS requirements can result in hefty fines for individual practitioners and the organisation they work in. Quality PBS organisations provide clear guidelines around compliance to ensure you can minimise risk to the people you support and ensure you meet important standards and deadlines.

 

---

Positive Behaviour Support jobs at Ability Consultants: What we offer

We invest in our people

• We help entry-level PBS practitioners obtain suitability so they can commence work as a behaviour support practitioner.
• We provide a detailed framework to help practitioners progress from Core to Proficient and Advanced/Specialist, in line with the NQSC Self-Assessment process.
• All practitioners benefit from our learning and development framework, to assist with goal setting and meeting NQSC professional development requirements.
• We offer leadership opportunities, as well as the opportunity to participate in or lead projects of interest.
• You can access shadowing opportunities to watch other practitioners in action.
• All new team members are supported by our Clinical Orientation and Induction Manager, including a comprehensive orientation session and weekly drop in sessions.
• We offer comprehensive induction training and ongoing Positive Behaviour Support training, online, in-person and through live interactive sessions with experienced practitioners.

We support clinical excellence and evidence-based practice

We provide valuable tools and resources to help you deliver evidence-based practice, and embed these tools into our practice. Examples include:

• Step-by-step guides on how to write quality, person-centred Behaviour Assessment Reports and Comprehensive Behaviour support Plans.
• Customisable, best practice templates such as:
  • Behaviour Assessment Report;
  • Comprehensive Behaviour Support Plan;
  • Recommendations Report / Progress Report;
  • Interim Behaviour Support Plan.
• A variety of training, including:
  • A thorough induction to clinical work;
  • A suite of training packages freely available to anyone who’s interested, plus a bunch of extra content for people within the company;
  • Specific training focussed on particular aspects of excellent clinical work;
  • Opportunities to learn from peers about how they work and ways they have achieved success.
• Access to a full list of practitioners and indications of their areas of expertise, and a culture of open communication with anyone you need to talk to.
• Access to a stack of compiled resources to help you learn about anything you need to know, in our PBS Resource Library.

We provide strong clinical supervision

Robust, consistent clinical supervision, case discussions, access to experienced practitioners, and guidance for complex and high-risk situations is essential. At Ability Consultants, we offer:

• Formal clinical supervision through weekly 1:1 mentoring with an experienced, knowledgeable and skilled behaviour support practitioner. You decide agenda items and draw on these opportunities to seek reviews of your work and specific feedback to help you identify what you’re doing well and where your work could improve. It’s also an opportunity for your mentor to check in on your wellbeing, and your learning and development plan.
• Fortnightly group learning sessions focussed on best practice in behaviour support, with topics such as Restrictive Practices Audits, Monitoring Implementation and Outcomes, and Data Analysis. All sessions are recorded and available to view at a later date.
• Confidential, fortnightly peer support sessions which may involve discussions about complex cases, celebrating success or practice challenges. Peer supervision is not recorded and is designed to be a safe, private space for our behaviour support practitioners.
• Guidance for complex or high-risk cases. Specialised support is available through our Governance, Restrictive Practices, AC Portal, Psychology and Clinical Excellence teams.

We provide clear governance and operational support

• Our Governance team draws upon deep experience to provide advice and direction regarding your work and the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. We:
  • support you regarding client safety and wellbeing as well as potential business risks;
  • provide support when notifying the NQSC about reportable incidents, Unauthorised Restrictive Practices (URPs), complaints, and barriers to services;
  • support AC staff if they need to make a complaint to another provider;
  • manage requests regarding legal matters (e.g., Administrative Review Tribunal, court matters, etc.);
  • support staff with requests for information from NDIS representatives, including the NQSC.

• As an Ability Consultants practitioner you will be supported by the AC Portal team, which exists to help practitioners meet NQSC requirements. We safeguard you against risks by helping you meet legislative reporting timeframes and requirements.

• The Restrictive Practices (RP) Inbox team equips practitioners with the clarity, tools and expert guidance needed to make confident, best‑practice decisions. They provide specialist RP support — interpreting PBS plans, clarifying specific RPs, preparing practitioners for RP Panels, and confirming protocols align with contemporary practice standards.
  • Meeting fortnightly, the RP Inbox team maintains a tight operational rhythm:
    • Grey Area reviews: Fast, expert clarification to reduce practitioner uncertainty;
    • Report backs: Concise updates that feed governance, Team Leader meetings and statewide alignment;
    • TL training: Targeted, practical sessions to lift RP quality and reinforce consistent decision‑making.
  • What the RP Inbox team delivers:
    • Expert RP guidance: We translate complex RP requirements into clear practitioner actions.
    • PBS plan interpretation: We ensure decisions are grounded in behaviour support intent.
    • Panel readiness: We prepare practitioners with evidence, rationale and protocol clarity.
    • Best‑practice checks: We confirm alignment with governance expectations and statewide standards.

• Ability Consultants takes care of administration, so you can have the freedom to focus on your best clinical work. Our dedicated Operations team welcomes new enquiries, processes incoming referrals, organises Service Agreements including consent, funding confirmations and PACE endorsements, and collects supporting documentation (where available). The Operations team also takes care of billing/invoicing your clients and internal checks/balances to support you in the delivery of your clinical work.

• Our practitioners are also supported by a dedicated Health and Safety representative. If challenging situations occur, such as critical incidents or complaints, our practitioners are supported by their Team Leader and the Clinical and Operations Management Team (COM).

We value quality over volume

At Ability Consultants, your case load will never be placed above your wellbeing. Your Team Leader will check in with you weekly to ensure you are not overwhelmed and that you are requesting clients who match your skillset.

We offer flexibility and work-life balance

• We offer flexible hours: as a PBS practitioner at Ability Consultants, you can choose when you work. Perhaps you focus better early in the morning or late at night, or would like Fridays off for further study, hiking, or perhaps a pottery class. We are the real deal when it comes to flexibility. Here are some examples:
  • Austin surfs before work
  • Mark finishes early to take his sons to rugby training
  • Becki finishes in time to make the school pick up
  • Steve takes his four legged friend Xena for a walk
  • Indi is an early bird and sometimes writes reports at 6am
• As a contractor, you can choose your total hours per week, starting from 10 billable hours. Full time hours are not required.
• Our entire team is remote — this means we work from home and travel to visit clients as needed. You won’t need to commute to the office, saving you time, money and stress. Travel to clients is billable, in line with NDIS guidelines.
• We recognise that working remotely has benefits, but can also be isolating — in many regions, we meet regularly for casual catch-ups, meetings or work side-by-side at a co-working space.

We create an empowering and supportive culture

• Empowering leadership principles are deeply embedded in our culture. Right from the start, we provide the right level of support so you can grow and take on more responsibility when you are ready.
• We encourage self-reflection and we identify, share and acknowledge wins, fails and learn froms.
• We provide a safe culture and work with an open floor policy, valuing clear, direct communication and shared problem solving.

We offer Positive Behaviour Support jobs around Australia

We are always hiring Proficient and Advanced/Specialist behaviour support practitioners throughout Australia. We also support entry-level behaviour support practitioners to gain suitability and deliver high quality services right from the start. 

To learn more about behaviour support jobs at Ability Consultants, contact Jane at [email protected] to join an upcoming information session.

---

Frequently Asked Questions about Positive Behaviour Support Jobs

How do I become a behaviour support practitioner?

We support entry-level behaviour support practitioners to gain suitability and commence PBS work in Australia. Here is an article where we outline the pathways to becoming a behaviour support practitioner in Australia.

How do I apply for a Positive Behaviour Support job with Ability Consultants?

Contact Jane at [email protected] to join an upcoming information session. You can also find further information about PBS roles at Ability Consultants on our website.

What hourly rate or salary can I expect as a behaviour support practitioner at Ability Consultants?

Please visit our careers page to find information about hourly rates and superannuation.

Where can I learn more about the people who work at Ability Consultants?

You’ve got a few options!

• Visit our “About” page where you can view team profiles;
• Browse our blog where you can find practitioner interviews; or
• Join an upcoming info session by emailing Jane [email protected].

You can also drop by to meet our team at expos (see our LinkedIn or Facebook page for updates) and our free PBS training can also give you some insight into who we are and how we work.

 

*Surfing image of Austin by Sprout Social.