Client Behaviour Starts with Staff Attitudes

When challenging behaviours arise in support settings, it’s easy to label them as “client issues.” But what if the real cause lies closer to home—within the very attitudes and actions (or inactions) of the staff?

Understanding client behaviour through the PERSONAL lens offers a more holistic and compassionate view:

• P – Physical health or disability

• E – Emotional wellbeing

• R – Relationships, both past and present

• S – Surroundings, including the current environment

• O – Occupation, meaningful engagement (present or past)

• N – Neurological conditions or neurodiversity

• A – Attitudes, especially those of staff and caregivers

• L – Lifestyle choices or limitations

Among all these factors, attitudes—especially those of frontline staff—are often the most underestimated and overlooked contributors to client behaviour. Yet, they can be the most powerful.

Attitudes: The Silent Influencer

In our work at Support Worker 4U, we regularly encounter behavioural incidents where the root cause isn’t what the client did, but rather how the staff member responded—or failed to respond.

These triggers fall into two main categories:

1. Acts of Commission – When staff do something that negatively impacts the client:

• Using condescending language or tone

• Imposing unnecessary rules or restrictions

• Responding with frustration or impatience

• Ignoring client preferences or autonomy

2. Acts of Omission – When staff fail to do something that’s needed:

• Not offering comfort or reassurance when a client is distressed

• Failing to explain changes to routine

• Ignoring subtle cues of anxiety or frustration

• Skipping person-centred planning

These actions (or inactions) may be unconscious, untrained, or simply the result of burnout—but they are no less impactful. And clients, especially those with complex needs, often communicate distress through behaviour. In many cases, the so-called “challenging behaviour” is actually a response to being misunderstood, disrespected, or disempowered.

A Call to Providers: Behaviour Change Starts with You

If your team is regularly facing behavioural challenges, ask yourself:

• Have we examined our staff's attitudes and responses?

• Are our support workers trained to recognise the power of their own behaviour?

• Do they know how to de-escalate, connect, and genuinely support?

Education is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.

At Support Worker 4U, we specialise in training support workers to:

• Recognise their influence on client behaviour

• Use reflective practice to identify personal bias or fatigue

• Respond with empathy, professionalism, and skill

• Create environments where clients feel safe, seen, and supported

Let’s Make Behaviour Management PERSONAL

It’s time we stop seeing behaviour as just a “client issue.” The PERSONAL framework reminds us that behaviour is complex, and staff attitudes are a critical part of that puzzle.

By investing in the emotional intelligence and behavioural awareness of your team, you’re not just preventing incidents—you’re transforming lives.

Ready to make that change?

Support Worker 4U is here to help.
Contact us to learn more about our staff training and development programs.

Together, let’s build a workforce that supports with heart, skill, and understanding.