How does Behaviour Smart Stack up against other recording systems?

By Antonia Whittle, Behaviour Smart Customer Support Manager

When it comes to managing behaviour in schools and care settings, everyone seems to have a favourite tool. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring what the competition has to offer, and some key differences have stood out in how we approach behaviour management at Behaviour Smart.

 Let’s take a closer look at what some of the big players are doing, and how Behaviour Smart is making its mark!

 CPOMS: The Safeguarding Superstar

 CPOMS is a name that comes up a lot. When we ask staff how they record and report behavioural incidents, CPOMS often tops the list because it’s great at what it was designed for. But here’s the thing—CPOMS is built primarily for recording safeguarding concerns. In fact, CPOMS stands for Child Protection Online Monitoring System. Sure, it allows staff to record behaviour incidents too, but if you check out their website or customer reviews, safeguarding is clearly their main focus.

Understanding the Difference: Behaviour Incidents vs. Safeguarding Incidents

 In any school or care setting, it’s crucial to know how to respond when things go wrong. Behaviour incidents are disruptive actions like aggression or refusal to follow instructions. These are typically handled internally, with staff using strategies to track patterns and guide positive change - exactly what Behaviour Smart is designed for.

On the other hand, safeguarding incidents involve serious concerns like neglect or abuse and require immediate intervention by senior staff or external agencies.

While CPOMS can record behaviour incidents, it’s clear that safeguarding is where it shines. And that’s great - safeguarding is vital, and the welfare of the child is paramount. But if you're specifically looking to track and improve behaviour in classrooms or care settings, there might be a better fit out there. That’s where Behaviour Smart comes in: we focus solely on behaviour management and improvement, giving you a tool designed for exactly that.

Sleuth: Great First Impressions, But…

Next up is Sleuth. They’ve been around for a while, and their website proudly states: "Sleuth is used by thousands of staff in hundreds of mainstream and special schools." At first glance, this sounds impressive. But when we dug a little deeper, something caught our eye.

For instance, one testimonial says, "In less than a term, we’ve reduced physical intervention by 50%." That sounds fantastic—until you start wondering: What were the original numbers? Reducing physical interventions by 50% is impressive if you’re dealing with 200 incidents, but what if you only started with 4? We love success stories, but we also value transparency. That’s something we pride ourselves on at Behaviour Smart.

We also noticed an outdated review from a school headteacher, praising Sleuth for its impact on their school. However, that review was nearly 10 years old! At Behaviour Smart, we believe in keeping things fresh and relevant, so you know you’re getting up-to-date support.

Behaviour Watch: Rewarding Behaviour, But Is That Enough?

Behaviour Watch is another big name in the game. Their product aims to reward positive behaviour while planning interventions for problematic conduct. Their interface looks slick, but we have some concerns about the idea that behaviour issues can be resolved through rewards alone.

When working with young people who’ve experienced trauma or mental health challenges, behaviour isn’t always as simple as good vs. bad. At Behaviour Smart, we are behaviour specialists, not a software company, so we know that behaviour is far more complex. Our goal is to develop support strategies that get to the heart of what’s going on - not just to reward good behaviour. Building strong relationships is key to creating lasting change, and we’re committed to doing this in a thoughtful, trauma-informed way.

Why Behaviour Smart?

So, what sets Behaviour Smart apart? It’s simple. Our aim is to improve behaviour and keep people safe.

 Behaviour Smart is developed by behaviour consultants alongside schools and services. We’re laser-focused on behaviour support and back up our approach with real, evidence-based strategies. We’re not interested in rewarding behaviour or ticking boxes. We want to understand the complexities of behaviour and use that understanding to improve outcomes for everyone involved.

 Whether it’s providing the most up-to-date data or using research to guide our practices, we’re here to help schools and care settings get the most out of their behaviour management systems.

 At the end of the day, we respect what our competitors are doing, but we believe Behaviour Smart offers a unique approach that’s more in tune with the challenges schools and care settings face today.