Green, Amber & Red
The 5P Approach uses the distinctive traffic light hierarchy to distinguish between levels or types of intervention and places the emphasis on using different strategies at the different levels, i.e.
GREEN - Preventative strategies. Meeting needs through providing a supportive environment,resources and approaches.
GREEN strategies and resources, the most important of all, are designed to meet needs, ensure positive well-being. and to PREVENT behaviour issues from arising. These are the resources and day to day strategies that you know work and that meet individual needs. The GREEN level therefore represents where we want to be and where we want to stay, the “foundations” of good practice where the environment and approaches used generally ensure positive well-being and thus prevent behaviour issues from arising, where any difficult behaviour which does occur is managed through general everyday /familiar strategies and where new skills are taught and learned.
AMBER - Pro-active strategies. Anticipating, pre-empting and de-escalating behaviour,
AMBER strategies, the second most important strategies are designed to pre-empt or head off issues as they emerge. For individuals, AMBER strategies include diversion or distraction or replacing an inappropriate behaviour with another which is more suitable but has the same function (a Functionally Equivalent Behaviour or FEB), for example asking for help using a symbol or card rather than screaming or hitting, squeezing a koosh ball rather than pinching or hitting etc. At the organisational level, AMBER strategies and resources are those you have ready to put into place as you see an issue emerging.
RED - Reactive strategies. Managing difficult issues with minimal risk and supporting a return to GREEN.
These are designed to manage and deal with the issues as quickly and safely as possible with the purpose of getting back to GREEN.
The GREEN, AMBER & RED colours are used within the two distinct elements of the 5P Approach.
1. Creating the GREEN Zone and preventing issues READ MORE
2. Tackling "Tricky" issues (problem analysis, problem-solving & planning) READ MORE
The process of moving from RED to GREEN is an integral part of the 5P Approach and promotes learning from experience so that RED areas can be avoided the next time a similar situation occurs. The 5P philosophy is that at RED behaviour or issue can only be managed. It is at GREEN and at AMBER where real behaviour change occurs. For the individual, the 5P Approach behaviour plan or Intervention Hierarchy sets out strategies and actions at GREEN, AMBER & RED with the aim of getting back to GREEN as soon as possible if an issue arises. At the organisational level, the 5P Framework sets out resources and strategies at each of the GREEN, AMBER & RED levels. The three colours are also used to indicate priorities within the Action Plan.
How do I work out what GREEN, AMBER & RED strategies to use?
Whether you are working with an individual or as a whole school/organisation, the 5P Approach pathway ( represented by the 5 "P"s) and the 5P Approach resources are designed specifically to support the two distinct elements of the approach i.e.
- working out what to put in the GREEN Zone
- working out how to tackle "tricky" behaviour issues
Read more about using the 5P Approach
GREEN - Preventative strategies. Meeting needs through providing a supportive environment,resources and approaches.
GREEN strategies and resources, the most important of all, are designed to meet needs, ensure positive well-being. and to PREVENT behaviour issues from arising. These are the resources and day to day strategies that you know work and that meet individual needs. The GREEN level therefore represents where we want to be and where we want to stay, the “foundations” of good practice where the environment and approaches used generally ensure positive well-being and thus prevent behaviour issues from arising, where any difficult behaviour which does occur is managed through general everyday /familiar strategies and where new skills are taught and learned.
AMBER - Pro-active strategies. Anticipating, pre-empting and de-escalating behaviour,
AMBER strategies, the second most important strategies are designed to pre-empt or head off issues as they emerge. For individuals, AMBER strategies include diversion or distraction or replacing an inappropriate behaviour with another which is more suitable but has the same function (a Functionally Equivalent Behaviour or FEB), for example asking for help using a symbol or card rather than screaming or hitting, squeezing a koosh ball rather than pinching or hitting etc. At the organisational level, AMBER strategies and resources are those you have ready to put into place as you see an issue emerging.
RED - Reactive strategies. Managing difficult issues with minimal risk and supporting a return to GREEN.
These are designed to manage and deal with the issues as quickly and safely as possible with the purpose of getting back to GREEN.
The GREEN, AMBER & RED colours are used within the two distinct elements of the 5P Approach.
1. Creating the GREEN Zone and preventing issues READ MORE
2. Tackling "Tricky" issues (problem analysis, problem-solving & planning) READ MORE
The process of moving from RED to GREEN is an integral part of the 5P Approach and promotes learning from experience so that RED areas can be avoided the next time a similar situation occurs. The 5P philosophy is that at RED behaviour or issue can only be managed. It is at GREEN and at AMBER where real behaviour change occurs. For the individual, the 5P Approach behaviour plan or Intervention Hierarchy sets out strategies and actions at GREEN, AMBER & RED with the aim of getting back to GREEN as soon as possible if an issue arises. At the organisational level, the 5P Framework sets out resources and strategies at each of the GREEN, AMBER & RED levels. The three colours are also used to indicate priorities within the Action Plan.
How do I work out what GREEN, AMBER & RED strategies to use?
Whether you are working with an individual or as a whole school/organisation, the 5P Approach pathway ( represented by the 5 "P"s) and the 5P Approach resources are designed specifically to support the two distinct elements of the approach i.e.
- working out what to put in the GREEN Zone
- working out how to tackle "tricky" behaviour issues
Read more about using the 5P Approach