Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint

Being able to promote positive behaviour and manage children’s behaviour well is central to the quality of care provided in any foster home. Negative behaviour should usually be managed through building positive relationships with children. Foster carers need to be able to respond positively to each child or young person’s individual behaviour and to be skilled at both diffusing difficult situations and avoiding situations escalating. The child’s Placement Plan must set out any specific behavioural issues that need to be addressed or approaches to be used.

Restraint must be used only in strict accordance with the legislative framework and the Agency policy to protect the child and those around them.

No form of corporal punishment can be used on any child by a foster carer or a member of their household, and no foster child can be subject to any excessive or unreasonable measure of control, restraint or discipline.

Kasper promotes a positive culture which minimises any restrictive practice. Restraint should only be used in exceptional circumstances where it is the only appropriate means to prevent likely injury to the child or other people, or likely serious damage to property, and in a manner consistent with the actions of any good parent. The use of restraint must be reasonable, proportionate and with the minimum of force.

Sanctions for poor behaviour must be clear, reasonable and fair and must not include restraint or corporal punishment.

Wherever possible foster carers should use constructive dialogue with the child or guide them away from a confrontational situation. They should also have an understanding of their own emotional response to a confrontation or threat, and know when to withdraw, concede or seek help.

All incidents must be reviewed, recorded and monitored and the views of the child sought, dependent on their age and understanding, and understood. Consideration should be given to the impact the intervention had on the child, why this was the right intervention, and what can be done to reduce the need for such an approach in the future.

See also Positive and Proactive Care: Reducing the Need for Restrictive Interventions - Department of Health and Social Care.

Kasper have detailed guidance available to foster carers on the area of managing challenging behaviours, which includes guidance on physical intervention. Policy available from the office.

Kasper offer regular Behaviour Management training, which is available to all carers and in addition, where staff observe challenging behaviours escalating in specific households, the agency will commission bespoke training for the carers and other linked individuals as necessary, in the carers home. This training is aimed at supporting safety for all household members.

All of Kasper’s Behaviour Management training places clear emphasis on physical holding never being used as a form of punishment or as part of any strategy to manage children or young people’s challenging behaviour. Physical intervention must only be applied where it is safe to do so and where it is absolutely necessary to prevent likely injury to the child or other persons or likely serious damage to property. (F.S.R. 2011 (13) (2) (c)). If Physical intervention must be used then an incident report needs to be completed and sent to the relevant Supervising Social Worker immediately, who will share this with the Registered Manager.

When completing incident reports following having to physically intervene or hold a child, foster carers need to be mindful to record the following;

• Record what the precedent or ‘trigger’ was for the episode;
• Record clearly all of their attempts to de-escalate the situation and avoid conflict;
• Record clearly the child’s behaviour and perceived risk;
• Record clearly their actions; physical hold used, for how long, where abouts on the child’s body;
• Confirm that the child was spoken to calmy through the event, and therefore was made aware of your actions and intent to hold them and the reason why;
• Note the location of the incident and if others were nearby or witnessed the event.

All incidents of physical restraint are overseen directly by management and subject to discussion and planning to minimise future incidents.