Positive Behaviour Support Training in the UK – 2025 Guide to Free Courses, Costs & Accreditation

I’m Sim. I’m generally quiet, happiest when I’m helping others, and oddly excited by two things that don’t obviously go together: behaviour analysis and cookbooks. (Yes, I’ve tried following a recipe while reading a functional assessment paper. No, I don’t recommend it.)

Below is my thoroughly researched, first-person guide to PBS training in the UK – what exists online (including free options), typical timescales, prices, and how widely recognised each pathway is. I’ve included the NHS Wales hybrid model too.

Quick summary

Career-building, recognised routes:
BILD BTEC Level 4 and Level 5 (practice-based, online plus work-based) or a university award such as Glasgow’s distance-learning PGCert, PGDip or MSc in PBS will carry weight with commissioners and employers.

That said, there are costs: registration fees, travel, accommodation, possibly time away from family. But when conferences are done well, I believe the return on investment (in ideas, connections, energy) can be worth it.

Fast skills and awareness (cheap or free):
There are short online CPD courses such as Middlesex University’s PBS day (£120), APT PBS (£260 + VAT), TrainHealthcare (£6) or Florence Academy (free to learn, £2.99 for certificate). Not to mention NHS Wales free awareness training and local council or family charity sessions.

1. Practice-based PBS qualifications (BILD – Pearson BTEC)

BTEC Level 4 Certificate in Positive Behaviour Support

Duration: 10 months; about 150 learning hours with online tutorials and practice-based assignments.
Fees: £799 + VAT (BILD members) or £880 + VAT (non-members).
Cohort of six: £4,794 + VAT (members) or £5,280 + VAT (non-members).
Recognition: A regulated BTEC delivered by a Pearson-approved centre. Widely used by UK providers to evidence competence aligned with the PBS Academy framework.
Who it suits: Front-line or support staff stepping into PBS practice.

BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Practice Leadership in PBS

Duration: About 18 months, five units, with a leadership and coaching focus.
Fees: £1,840 + VAT (members) or £2,100 + VAT (non-members).
Cohort of six: £11,040 + VAT (members) or £12,600 + VAT (non-members).
Recognition: A regulated BTEC Level 5, highly recognised by UK employers. Ideal for team and quality leadership roles.
Notes: A Recognition of Prior Learning route exists if you already hold the Level 4 Certificate.

Why I like these: they’re genuinely hybrid — online learning plus work-based assessment. It’s the “cook and taste as you go” approach rather than just reading recipes.

Let me unpick each, and then share examples.

2. University programmes (distance learning)

University of Glasgow – PGCert, PGDip and MSc in PBS

Start: September each year.
Fees 2025/26: MSc about £15,000 (standard) or discounted totals for NHS and social-care students (£11,820 MSc, £7,880 PgDip, £3,940 PgCert).
Recognition: A university qualification specifically in PBS, well regarded by services and commissioners. It builds advanced practice and leadership skills.

If BILD BTECs are a hearty stew, Glasgow’s programme is a three-course dinner with dessert and a bibliography.

3. Short CPD and micro-credentials

Perfect for quick upskilling or refreshers — but they’re not equivalent to a regulated qualification.

Middlesex University – one-day PBS short course: £120, often funded through NHS CPPD.
APT – PBS online course: £260 + VAT, three years’ access, 18 CPD hours.
HCPA – PBS Extended Knowledge (two days): £150 + VAT for non-members; discounts and funding for members.
TrainHealthcare – PBS e-learning: £6 for a one-hour CPD module.
NAPPI – Implement the PBS Model (Level 4, eight credits): £600 + VAT, distance or onsite.
PBS UK – training and development mapped to PBS competence levels 1 and 2; prices vary by commission.

Think of these as the tapas menu — great variety, very digestible, but they won’t replace a full degree or diploma.

4. Free or nearly free PBS and behaviour courses

I love a free course almost as much as a well-seasoned skillet. These won’t replace formal qualifications, but they’re excellent for awareness and family-friendly learning.

NHS Wales – PBS Awareness (Learning@Wales): free online access with guest login.
Medway Council – free PBS awareness webinars for carers and providers.
Daisy Chain – free PBS workshops for parents and carers (three sessions).
Florence Academy – free to learn; £2.99 + VAT for certificate.
OpenLearn (The Open University) – free behaviour and management courses with digital badges.
Challenging Behaviour Foundation – free resources and periodic online workshops.

Blend free awareness for broad teams and families with a few paid CPD days, then anchor your practice leaders in a BILD BTEC or university award – that’s the recipe that actually works.

5. NHS Wales BTEC Level 3, 4 and 5 Training: The Hybrid (and Mostly Hidden) Route

If you’ve ever tried to find official prices for NHS Wales BTEC courses, you’ll know it feels like trying to locate a specific cookbook in my kitchen – I swear the Thai one was right there yesterday.

Wales has done a brilliant job embedding PBS system-wide. There’s free e-learning for awareness, a “Once for Wales” PBS Family Resource, and a proper hybrid learning model that mixes online study with work-based evidence. But the exact fees for the BTEC Level 3, 4 and 5 programmes? That’s where the recipe card fades a little.

What’s publicly known

Health boards procure Pearson BTEC registrations in bulk. Swansea Bay University Health Board, for instance, lists single-tender purchases of around £14,000 to £17,000 for “BTEC e-Learning in Positive Behaviour Support,” covering multiple learners at once.

There’s also a historic per-learner figure from my own experience: when I self-funded my BTEC Level 5 PBS through NHS Wales, it cost about £1,325. They’ve since stopped offering instalment plans, so either your employer covers the cost or you’ll need full payment up front.

So while official per-person pricing isn’t published, the current range likely sits close to the BILD benchmarks below, perhaps a little lower when subsidised by NHS Wales.

Wales BTEC Price and Recognition Snapshot

BTEC Level	Typical Duration	Public Benchmark Price (UK)	Recognition and Notes
Level 3 (Advanced Certificate)	6–12 months (varies by board)	Not published – older UK examples around £150	Entry-level PBS competence; aligns with PBS Academy foundation tier
Level 4 (Certificate)	10 months / 150 hours	£799 + VAT (member) / £880 + VAT (non-member)	Regulated BTEC used UK-wide to evidence practitioner competence
Level 5 (Diploma)	18 months / 350 hours	£1,840 + VAT (member) / £2,100 + VAT (non-member)	Regulated BTEC leadership qualification mapped to PBS Academy competencies

All three levels are regulated BTEC qualifications via Pearson, and NHS Wales uses them to build tiered PBS competence across its workforce. They align closely with the PBS Academy Competence Framework and are treated as the gold standard for demonstrating PBS skills in health and social care.

If you’re starting out, go for Level 3. For senior support roles, Level 4 builds applied skill. Aiming for leadership? Level 5 is respected, structured, and hugely relevant for managers embedding PBS culture.

I love how NHS Wales has baked values, accessibility and real-world application into its PBS pathways. It’s learning you can apply immediately – not just another certificate gathering dust on a shelf (next to my unopened bread-making book). The hybrid model – online study plus work-based reflection – fits perfectly with my quiet mission: helping people lead better lives through small, evidence-based steps.

6. Recognition summary

University awards in PBS such as the Glasgow PG/MSc are widely recognised for advanced roles and commissioning confidence.
BILD BTEC Levels 4 and 5 are regulated Pearson BTEC qualifications, widely used in UK services and closely matched to PBS Academy competencies.
Short CPD courses are valuable skills boosters and culture builders but not equivalent to regulated qualifications.

7. My quiet recommendations

Pick your anchor: if you’re heading for practice leadership or management, choose a BILD BTEC Level 5 or the Glasgow PG/MSc route.
Layer the rest: add one or two short CPD pieces for team skills, and keep free awareness training available for families and new staff.
Make it hybrid on purpose: learning online is great, but PBS sticks best when it’s applied with coaching and reflection. Just like a new recipe — you need to cook it, not just pin it.

That’s it – a complete, fist person, up-to-date guide to Positive Behaviour Support training in the UK, including those elusive NHS Wales BTEC prices.

If you ever want to improve how effective you are as a practitioner, I’ve got ideas for that too – but for now, I’m off to cook something new (probably while reading another behaviour analysis paper).

Check out Positive Behaviour Support Conferences in The UK