Physical intervention in schools: guidance

Professional learning

111. Many staff are highly experienced in supporting children and young people’s mental and physical wellbeing. Many also have a high level of knowledge in areas such as nurture principles, trauma-informed approaches, understanding neurodevelopmental differences and safe handling of children and young people with complex additional support needs. Consistent with the implementation of this guidance, it is recommended that education providers, schools and staff consider any further professional learning opportunities, aligned to the Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning Framework, in the following areas:

• promoting positive relationships and behaviour;
• trauma-informed and nurturing approaches;
• preventative approaches to addressing distressed behaviour;
• the use of co-regulation, de-escalation and pupil and staff-led withdrawal;
• restorative approaches to supporting positive relationships and behaviour;
• identifying and providing for the additional support needs of children and young people in their care;
• support for children and young people with neurodivergence, including autism and learning disabilities;
• an understanding of the impact of sensory needs, the sensory environment and how to establish positive non-verbal communication with children and young people;
• use of communication passports;
• The use of local recording systems; and
• Conducting post-incident learning reviews.

112. Links to available resources in these areas are included in Annex D.

Physical intervention, restraint and seclusion

113. Staff should be supported to exercise the education providers’ duty of care responsibilities towards children and young people in the school. Where staff are working in environments where there is a significant ongoing risk of distressed behaviour or a risk of physical injury, the following advice may help inform a decision around appropriate professional learning options:

• It is not expected that a large number of staff within an education establishment would require restraint training. However, where a health and safety risk assessment indicates restraint as a foreseeable possibility, consideration should be given to training an appropriate number of staff.
• Where restraint is a foreseeable possibility, schools should use restraint training that is certified as complying with Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) training standards. This will ensure:
  • training is human rights-focused;
  • that staff also receive training in preventative approaches;
  • that trainers have the appropriate expertise to train in schools;
  • that training in techniques is safe and proportional to school requirements and is appropriate for use on children and young people;
  • that training includes hearing from people who have been restrained; and
  • that training is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service as meeting the ISO standards for certification.
• Unless in an unforeseen emergency situation, where there is no less restrictive option available to prevent injury, no member of staff should attempt to undertake any type of restraint without having completed RRN certified training in its safe use given the risk of injury to the child or young person and themselves. Staff who have undertaken professional learning in restraint should participate in refresher training to maintain an appropriate level of competence and must do so at least annually^[2] to continue practising these techniques. Education providers should maintain an overview of this.
• Refresher professional learning should include refreshing staff knowledge and awareness of preventative approaches, co-regulation, de-escalation and not only restraint.
• Additionally, there may be a requirement for school leadership teams to be supported in how to carry out risk assessments, as advised by the Health and Safety Executive, in relation to children or young people’s behaviour which could result in a risk of injury to themselves or others. This should also be supported by Educational Psychology teams where available, with regards to approaches which reduce risk.