Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint

The guidance emphasizes the importance of developing proactive strategies to reduce behaviours that challenge and minimize the need for restrictive interventions. These strategies should be based on a good understanding of current pressures for the child that might trigger dysregulated responses, underlying emotional needs, historic experiences, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions, and mental health difficulties, considering the heightened risk of challenging behaviours in children and young people affected by these conditions.

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.

The fostering agency promotes a positive culture which minimises any restrictive practice. Restraint must be used only in strict accordance with the legislative framework and the fostering 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.

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

BFfC’s IFA has a clear ‘no restraint’ policy and is therefore offering relevant training to enable foster carers to manage and de-escalate behaviour in a positive way without the use of restraints. If the child is of an appropriate age, strategies to manage behaviour should be agreed and discussed with them and recorded in the individual safer care plan. The strategies will be reviewed regularly during supervision.

‘Promoting positive behaviour’ training is available to BFfC’s IFA’s foster carers and more bespoke training aligned to the needs of children in your care can be commissioned.

However, on occasions where a situation is life threatening, restraints might be appropriately used. If this has occurred, it must be reported at the earliest possible opportunity to BFfC’s IFA and Children’s social care.