physical intervention policy
2002
A STATEMENT OF INTENT
This policy represents the collective views of the staff team. The Policy was written by the staff team during the period October 2002 to 2003. The final Policy was agreed on 2003.
PHILOSOPHY
- Choice and responsibility are central to our philosophy and the management of behaviour.
- We believe that physical restraint in itself does not have any positive virtues. The emphasis in school should always be on the avoidance of physical intervention with displays of aggression being dealt with through persuasion, diversion or instruction. Physical intervention should always be a last resort when there is no other alternative course of action possible. Physical intervention should only be used in extreme situations, but we acknowledge however, that there are occasions where it may be necessary to intervene very quickly, particularly in dangerous situations.
- As a team we are fully aware of the value and importance of de-escalation and will always endeavour to use these skills in difficult situations.
- We believe that when a physical intervention is necessary the safety of both the pupils and staff is of paramount importance.
- We believe that in any physical intervention it is important to protect the dignity of all concerned.
- As a staff team we are committed to the inclusion of pupils. We believe that we can only work with pupils and attempt to meet their needs if they are in school. Wherever possible we therefore seek to avoid exclusion. On some occasions a physical intervention may prevent an exclusion.
- In managing the most difficult and challenging behaviour we seek to help pupils by encouraging them to consider the consequences of their actions.
- As a school we seek to reward pupils who behave appropriately and make the right choices. We want to encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour and support them in developing their own coping strategies. Choice and responsibility are of crucial importance. We also encourage pupils to reflect on the consequences of their actions.
THE LEGAL POSITION
The key documents that provide staff with guidance regarding physical intervention are:
Guidance on the use of Restrictive Physical Intervention for Staff Working with Children and Adults who Display Extreme Behaviour In Association with Learning Disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder.- Department of Education and Skills July 2002 Department of Health.
DFEE Circular 10/98 "Section 550A of The Education Act 1996: The Use of Force to Control or Restrain Pupils".
All staff have been issued with a copies of these documents. Copies are also on the staff noticeboards and are also available from the Office Manager.
Key elements ofguidance
- All staff have a "duty of care".
- The scale and nature of any physical intervention must be proportionate to both the behaviour of the individual to be controlled, and the nature of the harm they might cause.
- The minimum necessary force should be used.
- The techniques deployed should be those with which staff involved are familiar and able to use safely.
- The use of force is likely to be legally defensible when it is required to prevent:
- self harm
- injury to other children or staff
- damage to property
- an offence being committed
- any behaviour prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline within the school.
Good practice must always be concerned with assessing and minimising risk to children, staff and others.
Objectives
- All matters relating to physical intervention will be governed by the guidance and expectations of the LEA and DFES advice.
- Each member of staff involved with a pupil displaying inappropriate behaviours will continually make risk assessments, with the health and safety of pupils and staff being the priority.
- The lead member of staff managing a situation will determine the primary strategy. The strategy will be modified as required until successful outcomes have been achieved.
- In any situation staff will use a variety of techniques to divert, de-escalate and where necessary, physically intervene.
- Following the conclusion of any physical intervention, staff and pupils will have the opportunity to reflect on the incident.
Physical Intervention Training
In order to ensure that all staff have received the appropriate training the school has accessed the following training courses as part of its In-Service Training programme:
July 2001 - Team Teach
September 2002 - Approach Training
New members of staff will be provided with the opportunity to undertake training as soon as possible after their appointment. Existing staff will be provided with regular refresher training.
A record of staff training is included in the appendix to this policy (not available online).
Physical Intervention: Practice
Risk Assessment
In making a decision about whether or not to physically intervene, staff will be expected to take into consideration the nature of the physical environment.
- Staff should seek to avoid physical interventions on hard and potentially dangerous surfaces such as concrete or tarmac.
- Pupils about to climb or attempting to climb the perimeter fencing should only be physically stopped if it is absolutely safe to do so.
Pupils on the school roof should be given clear instruction to get off the roof. The Head or Deputy should be informed as soon as possible. Staff however, do have a duty of care. A physical intervention should only be used if the pupil is considered to be in serious danger and if it is absolutely safe to intervene.
In considering a physical intervention in specialist classroom, such as the Science Laboratory, Food Technology room or the Design Technology workshop, where there may be inherent dangers, staff will need to carry out a risk assessment and try to balance the dangers of the environment with those presented by the pupil.
Staff may have to consider a physical intervention during off-site visits if a pupil’s behaviour becomes extreme. The additional factors such as the dangers presented by the environment and the presence of members of the public will clearly have to be taken into account in completing the risk assessment.
If a pupil has lost control and is throwing equipment or knocking over furniture in their classroom, staff will make a risk assessment regarding the best strategy, with the health and safety of all pupils and staff being the priority.
A range of diversion and de-escalation strategies may be used:
- Planned ignoring may be an appropriate strategy.
- Before any physical intervention a pupil will be given clear advice about their unacceptable behaviour and what they need to do.
- The exact nature of an intervention will depend on the nature of the pupil’s behaviour, the age and size of the pupil, the relationship the member of staff has with the pupil and additional staff resources immediately available.
- Staff may seek the support of particular colleagues if it is believed that a particular adult-pupil relationship will help a particular pupil and possibly prevent a physical intervention.
