What is the Green Zone?
The GREEN Zone -meeting needs and ensuring positive well-being. Creating a “GREEN Zone” represents the first and most important element of the 5P Approach framework.
Planning an environment and an approach which meets the needs of the individuals we work or live with is at the heart of the 5P Approach philosophy. The 5P Approach therefore looks at how schools, organisations and families can create a good foundations or “GREEN Zones” designed to meet the needs of the individuals and thus ensure positive well-being and prevent behaviour issues from arising. The whole school or organisation's GREEN Zone sets out all the resources and approaches available to meet the needs of their cohort. For the individual, the GREEN Zone is a tailored plan which sets out exactly what the individual needs and what the adults around them can do to ensure this is kept in place.
The GREEN Zone is not just about the physical environment, it also includes looking at the physical organisation, the sensory, visual & social environment and what should be in place to promote good communication. The GREEN Zone also includes the use of specific approaches and strategies (GREEN strategies) such as the use of PECS, Social stories, therapeutic strategies, Intensive interaction etc. This includes taking a look at the general approach to teaching and learning and advocates the teaching of a curriculum or skills specific to that individual's needs in order to support them to develop skills is those areas of difficulty or difference which are specific to their needs i.e. in autism this would be flexibility, communication, social skills and self-knowledge.
The environment, the specialist approaches, skill development and personalisation all form the building blocks of the GREEN Zone foundations and consistency and joined up working, promoted through use of the 5P Approach, acts as the “cement”.
The Organisational GREEN Zone
The whole school or organisation's GREEN Zone provides a master plan which sets out all the resources and approaches available to meet the needs of their cohort. The 5P Approach is most effective when used as an approach adopted by the whole organisation (school, care home, LA etc.) where the principles of consistency and continuity can be applied with maximum effect. Taking a “top down” approach, the 5P Approach framework is represented at the whole organisation level, refined and further specified at the group level (e.g. a classroom, a residential house etc.) and further refined and personalised for the individual ( creating an Individual GREEN Zone). Creating an Organisational GREEN Zone begins by using the first P of the the 5P process - PROFILE by auditing and recording "What are we doing now" and identifying areas for development. The Organisation's master plan also details actions and resources at AMBER and RED by following the same 5P problem-solving process.
The Individual GREEN Zone
The Individual GREEN Zone sets out a "masterplan" to detail exactly what should be in place for that individual to ensure positive well-being, that their needs are met, that they make progress and avoid issues and situations which might cause stress and lead to behaviour issues. Although there are some general principles and strategies we can all use at GREEN, the 5P Approach advocates personalised intervention strategies. Thus, part of the 5P Approach "Working with Me" pack (Positive Intervention Plan) includes establishing an Individual GREEN Zone or a personalised plan designed specifically to meet the needs of the individual. You can download a copy of the Individual GREEN Zone proforma from the resources page. This also includes looking at which new skills the individual will need to develop to encourage independence and reduce anxiety e.g. expressing a view, self-regulation etc. As we learn more about the individual, the Individual GREEN Zone changes and expands. The 5P Approach framework recommends that an Individual GREEN Zone should be in place for every individual within the organisation and shared with all those working and living with them ( don't forget the individual themselves who should have input into their Individual GREEN Zone)
Expanding the GREEN Zone.
The GREEN Zone is further developed and refined by "learning from experience". In other words, at the individual level, every time we meet a difficult situation or challenging behaviour, we work out what is happening and why and what to do about it (at GREEN, AMBER & RED). As the individual makes progress, the RED behaviour diminishes and the individual remains mainly at GREEN or occasionally at AMBER. The GREEN and AMBER strategies of the Intervention Hierarchy (or 5P Behaviour plan) are then placed into the Individual GREEN Zone (which grows and expands) and, if needed, a new behaviour becomes the focus of the next Intervention Hierarchy. This same principal applies at the organisational level. The GREEN Zone expands as new strategies and resources are developed and used, RED and AMBER diminish as action plan priories are addressed.
Learn more by clicking on the Using 5P tab
Planning an environment and an approach which meets the needs of the individuals we work or live with is at the heart of the 5P Approach philosophy. The 5P Approach therefore looks at how schools, organisations and families can create a good foundations or “GREEN Zones” designed to meet the needs of the individuals and thus ensure positive well-being and prevent behaviour issues from arising. The whole school or organisation's GREEN Zone sets out all the resources and approaches available to meet the needs of their cohort. For the individual, the GREEN Zone is a tailored plan which sets out exactly what the individual needs and what the adults around them can do to ensure this is kept in place.
The GREEN Zone is not just about the physical environment, it also includes looking at the physical organisation, the sensory, visual & social environment and what should be in place to promote good communication. The GREEN Zone also includes the use of specific approaches and strategies (GREEN strategies) such as the use of PECS, Social stories, therapeutic strategies, Intensive interaction etc. This includes taking a look at the general approach to teaching and learning and advocates the teaching of a curriculum or skills specific to that individual's needs in order to support them to develop skills is those areas of difficulty or difference which are specific to their needs i.e. in autism this would be flexibility, communication, social skills and self-knowledge.
The environment, the specialist approaches, skill development and personalisation all form the building blocks of the GREEN Zone foundations and consistency and joined up working, promoted through use of the 5P Approach, acts as the “cement”.
The Organisational GREEN Zone
The whole school or organisation's GREEN Zone provides a master plan which sets out all the resources and approaches available to meet the needs of their cohort. The 5P Approach is most effective when used as an approach adopted by the whole organisation (school, care home, LA etc.) where the principles of consistency and continuity can be applied with maximum effect. Taking a “top down” approach, the 5P Approach framework is represented at the whole organisation level, refined and further specified at the group level (e.g. a classroom, a residential house etc.) and further refined and personalised for the individual ( creating an Individual GREEN Zone). Creating an Organisational GREEN Zone begins by using the first P of the the 5P process - PROFILE by auditing and recording "What are we doing now" and identifying areas for development. The Organisation's master plan also details actions and resources at AMBER and RED by following the same 5P problem-solving process.
The Individual GREEN Zone
The Individual GREEN Zone sets out a "masterplan" to detail exactly what should be in place for that individual to ensure positive well-being, that their needs are met, that they make progress and avoid issues and situations which might cause stress and lead to behaviour issues. Although there are some general principles and strategies we can all use at GREEN, the 5P Approach advocates personalised intervention strategies. Thus, part of the 5P Approach "Working with Me" pack (Positive Intervention Plan) includes establishing an Individual GREEN Zone or a personalised plan designed specifically to meet the needs of the individual. You can download a copy of the Individual GREEN Zone proforma from the resources page. This also includes looking at which new skills the individual will need to develop to encourage independence and reduce anxiety e.g. expressing a view, self-regulation etc. As we learn more about the individual, the Individual GREEN Zone changes and expands. The 5P Approach framework recommends that an Individual GREEN Zone should be in place for every individual within the organisation and shared with all those working and living with them ( don't forget the individual themselves who should have input into their Individual GREEN Zone)
Expanding the GREEN Zone.
The GREEN Zone is further developed and refined by "learning from experience". In other words, at the individual level, every time we meet a difficult situation or challenging behaviour, we work out what is happening and why and what to do about it (at GREEN, AMBER & RED). As the individual makes progress, the RED behaviour diminishes and the individual remains mainly at GREEN or occasionally at AMBER. The GREEN and AMBER strategies of the Intervention Hierarchy (or 5P Behaviour plan) are then placed into the Individual GREEN Zone (which grows and expands) and, if needed, a new behaviour becomes the focus of the next Intervention Hierarchy. This same principal applies at the organisational level. The GREEN Zone expands as new strategies and resources are developed and used, RED and AMBER diminish as action plan priories are addressed.
Learn more by clicking on the Using 5P tab