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A set of guidance on the use of physical restraint for Scotland's residential child care practitioners has been launched, writes Derren Hayes.

Holding Safely aims to provide consistent criteria for professionals to assess whether physical intervention is necessary and what techniques should be used.

Developed by the Scottish Institute of Residential Child Care (Sircc) at the University of Strathclyde, the guidance is supported by the Scottish executive.

It was launched at Sircc's conference earlier this month and will be distributed to child care professionals, and available free on Sircc's website, (www.sircc.strath.ac.uk), from September.


Different homes - and different types of professional - were applying different protocols on physical intervention. For example residential workers and teachers at a residential school would have different guidance.

Holding Safely is Scotland's answer to this, but Jennifer Davidson, director of Sircc, says there are other reasons for its development.

A Who Cares? Scotland report published last year cited young people saying that staff caring for them should know how to restrain properly and when it is appropriate. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has also called for UK practices on restraint to be reviewed.

Davidson says that the guidance "should reduce those occasions when you need to restrain, and prepare you for when it is absolutely necessary".

The guidance, put together by managers and practitioners, also emphasises the importance of post-restraint analysis so that when incidents do occur staff and young people can understand why and try to avoid it happening again.


Di Hart, principal officer for children at the National Children's Bureau, says it is important professionals learn from situations. "You've got to see the early signs of conflict and work out what will defuse the situation so that you only use physical intervention as a final resort."

Hart praises the guidance for providing a "clear framework" for judging intervention methods and says England should follow suit and produce something similar.

The Youth Justice Board issued a draft code of practice on physical restraint of children in custody in England and Wales earlier this month.

But Hart seems unconvinced guidance will appear for residential homes in England because the government has a "vested interest" in keeping it vague. "Then if someone is sued it will be the practitioner and not the government."