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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Principles of Positive Behaviour Management
3. Restrictive Physical Interventions 
   
   Appendix 1 - Accredited Price Trainers and other Behaviour Management Experts who can advise on De-Escalation and Diffusion Strategies
   
   Appendix 2 – Legal Requirements, Approved and Prohibited Sanctions
   
   Appendix 3 – Behaviour Management in Looked After Settings
   
   Appendix 4 – Positive Behaviour Management in Schools
   
   Appendix 5 – Additional Guidance for Services working with Disabled Children and Young People 

1. Introduction

Physical intervention must only be used as part of a positive behaviour management programme.

Physical intervention includes both breakaway techniques involved to keep staff safe and any restrictive physical interventions (RPIs) which are employed to keep the child and those around them safe. The policy is informed by the DfES/DH 2002 Joint Guidance on the Use of Physical Intervention in Care and Educational Settings and has been reviewed and updated having regard to subsequent regulations and guidance, including the Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - Guide for heads and school staff on behaviour and discipline.

Specific advice on RPIs, which might be appropriate for particular children and in particular services, can be sought from the inter-agency group of accredited trainers (Appendix 1 - Accredited Price Trainers and other Behaviour Management Experts who can advise on De-Escalation and Diffusion Strategies).

Use of specific RPIs for particular children must always be authorised by a designated manager/head teacher within a service or specific setting e.g. a children's home or a school. In children's homes, staff must only use restraint techniques that are approved by the home. Staff must not use techniques they were trained on in other homes; staff must be trained in approved techniques before they start working with children in each home.

Restraint must not be used to force compliance or as a punishment where Significant Harm or serious damage to property are not otherwise likely.

The policy covers:

• The underlying principles of positive behaviour management;
• Specific policy and procedure around physical restraint.

Further information on the following is available by hyperlinked appendices:

• Legal requirements - approved and prohibited interventions (Appendix 2 – Legal Requirements, Approved and Prohibited Sanctions);
• Behaviour management in looked after settings (Appendix 3 – Behaviour Management in Looked After Settings);
• Behaviour Management in schools (Appendix 4 – Positive Behaviour Management in Schools);
• Guidance for services working with disabled children and young people (Appendix 5 – Additional Guidance for Services working with Disabled Children and Young People);
• Exemplar formats for recording positive behaviour management plans restrictive physical intervention risk assessments and incident debriefs can be found on the Forms Index (which can be found on the local intranet). 

2. Principles of Positive Behaviour Management

2.1	Underpinning principles of behaviour management Children have the right to be treated with respect and dignity, and their welfare must be paramount; It is the responsibility of all adults to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This responsibility extends to a duty of care for those adults employed, commissioned or contracted to work with children; Adults who work with children are responsible for their own actions and behaviour and should avoid any conduct which would lead a reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions. They should work and be seen to work in an open and transparent way; Adults should continually monitor and review their practice. They should always consider whether their actions are warranted, proportionate and safe and should ensure they are applied equitably.
2.2	Positive behaviour management is supported by: Services or schools providing a written statement of their objectives, methods of work and behaviour and outcomes; Recognition that both the environment and the ethos of the team working in it can have a therapeutic impact on children’s behaviour; Ensuring that the number of staff and their competencies matches the needs of the child, avoiding staff being left in vulnerable positions; Meaningful activities, which include opportunities for choice and a sense of achievement; Appropriate sanctions where behaviour is regarded as unacceptable - see Appendix 2 – Legal Requirements, Approved and Prohibited Sanctions.
2.3	Services and schools must have their own written implementation plan based on these principles. This plan must be signed off by the relevant senior manager/head teacher and should include:   The principles above and other general requirements of this policy; Compliance with any regulations and partner agency requirements; Statement of specific behaviour management methods used; Permitted sanctions/measures of control including those for sexually concerning behaviour; Permitted methods of restrictive physical intervention e.g. PRICE, in what circumstances they can be used, by whom and what number of staff should be present; Tailored job descriptions/person specifications for key staff and a plan for training to ensure competence; Procedures for contacting the police in the event of a violent incident that cannot be managed by staff or carers; Procedures which clarify how the duty of care to staff involved in violent/distressing incidents will be addressed by managers/headteachers and the employing agency (as appropriate); Procedures for referring to appropriate managers, including headteachers, where a child’s behaviour requires exclusion from a particular setting/school (NB requirements for different settings are governed by different legislative and regulatory frameworks); Procedures for referring to appropriate managers/heads where a child’s behaviour cannot be managed safely by their existing carers or the staff supporting them in a known setting.
2.4	Each service and school should review its implementation plan annually. A copy of the current policy should be attached to the health and safety audit.

3. Restrictive Physical Interventions 

3.1 Definition 

Restrictive physical interventions are defined as holding someone, including young children, to prevent them harming themselves or others.  They can also be used to prevent older children/teenagers from committing an offence. (Advice should be sought about whether individual children with learning disabilities could be held culpable of committing a particular offence or not). Restrictive physical interventions include the use of mechanical restraints like belts and harnesses to control behaviour. Use of this equipment needs to be regulated in the same way as other RPIs.

Physical interventions that are not restrictive assist a child rather than restrain and are not within the scope of this RPI policy. They include, for example, moving and transferring, personal care and are covered by other policies.

3.2 Principles of Restrictive Physical Intervention 

Any use of restrictive physical intervention is an important decision. It must be proportionate to both the behaviour of the individual and the harm they might cause, taking account of the circumstances and known history. Care and respect must be shown at all times and the minimum necessary force and duration should be used. The techniques deployed should be those with which the adults involved have been trained in and are able to use safely. Physical intervention should only be used as a last resort and come after the use of planned de-escalation/defusion strategies. It is not a behaviour management method in itself.

The use of force to restrict movement or mobility or to break away from dangerous or harmful physical contact initiated by a child will involve different levels of risk.  

Any techniques that may interfere with breathing are likely to present an unacceptable risk and should never be used. Holding a child by the neck carries a risk of suffocation or restricting blood flow to the brain, as well as a risk of spinal injury and on no account should neck holds be used as a way of restraining children or young people. So called "nose distraction" technique will inflict pain and is not proportionate, as it will involve unnecessary force. These techniques, therefore, are unacceptable and should never be used on children in any children's homes, including in secure children's homes.

3.3 Prevention 

The use of restrictive physical interventions should be minimised by using positive strategies as set out at the start of this policy.  Risk assessments, including those relating to the environment, should be used strategically to plan proactively how to minimise the need for RPIs. Staff and managers/headteachers should have a clear understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities around completing and signing off risk assessments.

Staff and carers should try to recognise the early stages of a sequence that is likely to develop into aggression and defuse the situation. Where there is a history of serious violence, the use of a restrictive physical intervention at an early stage in the sequence may be justified if it is clear that: 

• Positive management has not been effective;
• The risks of not using a restrictive physical intervention are greater than the risks of using it;
• Other appropriate methods, which do not involve restrictive physical interventions, have been tried without success;
• The proposed method of intervention is safe.

3.4 Developing individual restrictive physical intervention plans 

Employers are required to assess risks to both employees and children arising from work activities, including the use of physical interventions. In some types of service and in certain schools where intensive support is provided it is likely to be foreseeable which children will require restrictive physical interventions. Where foreseeable, for each child, there must be a written plan, which may be incorporated into wider risk assessment format used by the service/school which includes: 

• The strategy for addressing the child’s behavioural difficulties;
• A description of behaviour sequences and settings which may require a physical intervention response;
• A risk assessment of RPI technique on the specific individual concerned. This is because, depending on an individual child’s needs and difficulties, certain RPIs can have higher risk implications e.g. there are techniques that should not be used if a child has asthma, epilepsy, a heart defect, autism; also, some children with specific syndromes like Down's may have particular physiological weaknesses which need to be taken into account;
• A risk assessment which balances the risk of using a restrictive physical intervention against the risk of not using a physical intervention;
• An assessment that the service/school has the required staff/carers and other facilities to manage the intervention safely and appropriately;
• A record of the views of the child (where possible and appropriate), those with parental responsibility and any independent advocate;
• A system of recording behaviours and the use of RPIs using the school or organisation's incident reporting format;
• A clear record of how significant incidents especially those which involved RPIs should be reported back to parents, carers and, where appropriate, staff supporting the child in other settings;
• Previous methods which have been tried without success;
• A description of the specific physical intervention techniques which are sanctioned, the dates on which they will be reviewed;
• A list of staff who are judged competent to use these methods with this person;
• The ways in which this approach will be reviewed, the frequency of review meetings and members of the review team;
• An up to date copy of this plan must be included in the individual Care Plan for a child where this exists.

3.5 Recording  

The use of a RPI must always be recorded as quickly as possible (and in any event within 24 hours of the incident) by the person(s) involved. Managers/head teachers will advise which reporting format is acceptable for their service/setting/school. It is good practice for parents to be informed of any incident involving a RPI.

See also Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - Guide for heads and school staff on behaviour and discipline in relation to recording of incidents in schools.

Children's homes may now record measures of control, discipline, restraint and sanctions electronically, so long as the system is secure.  Managers may wish to retain bound books, however, as per the previous regulations and standards.  The list of matters that must be recorded includes:

1. The name of the child concerned;
2. Details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure;
3. A description of the measure used;
4. The date, time and location of the use of the measure;
5. The name of the person using the measure, and of any other person present;
6. The effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;
7. A description of any injury to the child concerned or any other person and any medical treatment administered;
8. Confirmation that the person authorised by the registered provider to make the record has spoken to the child concerned and the person using the measure about the use of the measure; and
9. The signature of the person authorised by the registered provider to make the record.

Where a measure of restraint is used on a child the record must include:

1. The duration of the measure of restraint; and
2. Details of any methods used to avoid the need to use that measure.

The records of incidents should be reviewed regularly by the manager or head of the setting/service/school and should be used as a basis for reviewing children's plans and identifying and recording any other management action related to: 

• Compliance with statutory requirements;
• Monitoring of children’s welfare;
• Monitoring staff performance and identifying learning and development needs or outcomes;
• Contributing to service/school audit and evaluation;
• Updating medical records.

3.6 Post-incident management 

Following an incident in which RPIs are used, staff/carers and, where possible and appropriate, children should be offered separate and appropriate opportunities by supervisors/senior staff to talk about what happened in a calm and safe environment. Such processes should only take place when those involved have recovered their composure and should discover what happened and the effects on the participants, not apportion blame or to punish those involved. If there is any reason to suspect that a child or staff/carer has experienced injury or severe distress following the use of a physical intervention, they should receive prompt medical attention and other appropriate and additional support. For looked after children, see also Incidents Guidance.

Following an incident where Physical Intervention has been used in children's homes, the child, staff and others involved are now able to call on medical assistance and children must always be given the opportunity to see a Registered Nurse or Medical Practitioner, even if there are no apparent injuries.

Parents should be informed that a RPI took place and should be involved in agreeing appropriate support arrangements.

It is recognised that different settings may need to adopt different approaches to debriefing after these incidents. However, risk assessment/planning need to highlight how staff and children can be cared for appropriately when incidents occur and some flexibility of approach needs to be built into the system. 

3.7 Training 

In unforeseen emergencies staff may sometimes need to resort to physical intervention to protect themselves/others.  Outside these situations all staff/carers who will be required to use RPIs should only use those interventions for which they have received training. Approved training for each carer/member of staff should be recorded and there should be regular updating.  

3.8 Staff/Carer Support

Staff or carers who suffer injury or emotional trauma as consequence of intervention to manage behaviour will be fully supported. This support may require investigation as to the circumstances e.g. for medical or insurance purposes.

3.9 Allegations of misconduct

Where allegations of misconduct are made against a member of staff or a carer in respect of a RPI these will be addressed in accordance with the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board's Inter Agency Procedures.  Both inappropriate use of RPIs and using words that could damage a child’s self esteem can constitute abusive practice and could result in disciplinary action being taken against the member of staff involved.

Appendix 1 - Accredited Price Trainers and other Behaviour Management Experts who can advise on De-Escalation and Defusion Strategies

Price instructors:

Kate Bristow – Springfield School: Tel 01993 706662; email Office.7012@springfield.oxon.sch.uk or kate.bristow@hotmail.com

Jonas Torrance – SENSS, The Wheatley Centre: Tel 01865 456702; email jonas.torrance@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Bernice Smurthwaite – Behaviour Support Service (mainstream primary schools) The Harlow Centre: Tel 01865 256630; email berrnice.smurthwaite@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Chrissie Spring – Behaviour Support Service (mainstream primary schools), The Harlow Centre: Tel 01865 256630; email chrissie.spring@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Annelies Henshall – Behaviour Support team, C&F Care Services, Kidlington    (disabled children): Tel 01865 374154; email annelies.henshall@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Philip Garside – Behaviour Support team, C&F Care Services, Kidlington (disabled children): Tel 01865 374154; email Philip.Garside@oxfordshire.gov.uk

John Downes –  Maltfield House: Tel 01865 761386; email john.downes@oxfordshire.gov.uk

George Horne – Maltfield House: Tel 01865 761386; email george.horne@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Gay Suggitt – Children’s Social Care trainer, Shared Services; email gay.suggitt@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Behaviour management specialists

Elizabeth Navrady-Wilson – LD Challenging Behaviour Clinical Nurse Specialist, Ridgeway NHS Trust: Tel 01865 747455; email Elizabeth.Navrady@ridgeway.nhs.uk

Ben Gurney-Smith – Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Attach Team: Tel 01865 378114; email ben.gurney-smith@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Julie Gibbard – Manager, Oxfordshire Play and Leisure Service, Barnardos: Tel 01295 275507; email Julie.Gibbard@barnardos.org.uk

Appendix 2 – Legal Requirements, Approved and Prohibited Sanctions

Key legislative framework:

• Children Acts 1989 and 2004;
• Education Act 2002;
• Education and Inspections Act 1996;
• School Standards and Framework Act 1998;
• Children's Homes (Amendment) Regulations 2011;
• Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - Guide for heads and school staff on behaviour and discipline.

Adults should:

• Adhere to the organisation's physical intervention policy;
• Always seek to defuse situations;
• Always use the minimum force for the shortest period necessary;
• Agree feedback loops to key stakeholders e.g. parents.

Approved sanctions:

Any sanction approved for use by a service must be:

• Compatible with the methods of the service and acceptable to other stakeholders involved in the child’s care;
• Relevant to the individual’s case management/age/circumstances;
• Realistic and sensitive;
• Enforceable;
• Applied consistently;
• Approved by an appropriate manager.

Approved sanctions (non exhaustive list) may include: reparation, restitution, time out, talking through, increased staff supervision, extra tasks.

Prohibited sanctions:

Prohibited sanctions include:

• Corporal punishment;
• Deprivation of food and drink;
• Refusal of visits/communications;
• Requirement to wear distinctive or inappropriate clothes;
• Withholding of medical treatment, counselling/therapy;
• Use of accommodation such as a locked room to physically restrict the liberty of any child;
• Intentional sleep deprivation;
• Intimate body searches;
• Community disapproval (however feelings of other people in the group can be expressed and conveyed in a way that will aid the child/young person’s development).      

Appendix 3 – Behaviour Management in Looked After Settings

Behaviour Management

Children in foster and residential care have experienced varying degrees of disadvantage, and as such can present a variety of challenging behaviour – including disruptive, untrusting, developmentally delayed and rejecting patterns.  Residential staff and foster carers need to establish an environment and relationships that can provide children with the opportunity to re-learn different strategies for coping.  Children will react differently to their experiences, and what is helpful for one may not be helpful for another, but there are some general principles based on positive parenting that can guide daily interactions and help manage challenging situations.

Plan Ahead

• Staff/carers should agree clear and simple rules, boundaries and consistent expectations about behaviour.  This can help minimise arguments and conflict over every moment of the day;
• In residential care, group dynamics can make management of challenging behaviour difficult.  Forward planning and organising shifts and staff time is important when managing the group as a whole.  Ensuring sufficient staff are available to intervene in situations is a key issue for managers.  Agreed limits should be adhered to consistently by all the staff team on all shifts.  Any deviation from agreed principles should not be taken without consultation with the team and subsequently management.

Involve Children

• Children should be given choices and control within discussions and when planning responses to behaviour, appropriate to age and development.  Give choices when negotiating solutions to problems.  Giving options can help reduce power struggles with children;
• Try to allow the child to take some control of the resolution or decision-making process.

Focus on Praise and Encouragement

• As much as possible, positive methods of reward, praise and encouragement should be used to promote desired behaviour.  Attention should be paid to details - recognising even the smallest of achievements is a starting point;
• Use praise specifically – tell the child exactly what they have achieved or done right and why you are praising them.  For some children it can be hard to hear positive things about themselves or their behaviour – they may need support in accepting and managing praise;
• Use criticism minimally – only criticise the child’s behaviour, and not the individual personally.

Behind the Behaviour

• When considering difficult behaviour, it can be helpful to understand what is motivating the behaviour – what is the child trying to tell you?
  
  Are they seeking attention?  Describe to the child how they could get the attention more appropriately – stay with the child and encourage him or her to behave as you have requested in order for you to respond or give your full attention.
  
  Are they seeking revenge? Is the child responding to events related to another person, previous incidents or past experiences?  Is it possible to ‘model’ possible ways of forgiving others?
  
  Are they feeling powerless? Is the child’s behaviour suggesting they are feeling they have no control over events?  How can the child be given a safe and appropriate experience of control?
  
  Are they communicating difficult feelings?  Some children’s behaviour becomes challenging when they are anxious, scared or feeling sad.  What has happened in the past or recently that the child needs help in understanding and managing differently?
  
  Developmental stage – for some children, particularly adolescents, oppositional behaviour, risk taking and ignoring adult advice and guidance is part of establishing a separate identity and autonomy from parents and carers;
• Listen to the child, observe and pay attention in detail to their language, voice tone and behaviour.  Note their worries and concerns.  Discuss conflict present and describe how to resolve it;
• Try to acknowledge the feelings behind the behaviour – and offer ways of managing such feelings.  For some children, the need to give permission for feelings is important – also for staff and carers to explain or model appropriate expression of difficult feelings to teach the child acceptable ways of displaying such feelings;
• Ignore minor difficulties if it helps – but do not ignore the child.  Attend to the child’s distress whilst offering coping strategies, distraction or just someone who is willing to listen.

Be Clear and Brief

• When challenging difficult behaviour, do not assume that the child knows how you want them to behave.  Describe how they can behave to achieve what you are requesting.  Be clear and brief.  If necessary break the required behaviour into achievable steps;
• Try not to overwhelm a child with orders or requests.  Try and avoid framing requests as ultimatums.  Give directions for appropriate behaviour in small, manageable steps.

Avoid Power Struggles

• Try to avoid becoming trapped in pointless arguments - calmly stick to giving your message, and do not get distracted into arguing about your point;
• Some looked after children may feel powerless about their circumstances.  For some, the ‘power’ to provoke a reaction in others can be one of the few feelings of control available.  Staff and carers should be aware of their own personal ‘triggers’ when working with children, and try to avoid acting on impulse when confronted with a behaviour or situation that is designed to provoke or ‘wind them up’.

Sanctions

See also Sanctions Procedure

• Give reasons for responses or sanctions – ensure the child can understand as best they can the process for arriving at a particular response, and how the child could change the outcome by behaving differently;
• When considering sanctions, try to use natural consequences for actions – or use sanctions that are reflective of the incident to be sanctioned.  Ensure sanctions are clear and swift.

Try and ‘Connect’ with the child

• Opportunities to develop a positive relationship with a child can help the member of staff ‘connect’ with that person.  A positive relationship can be beneficial in difficult moments of tension or conflict.  Staff/carers should take the opportunity to become familiar with a child’s history – not only recorded on file but from discussions with the child (where appropriate);
• Giving attention when it is least expected and not sought, can be a useful way of      showing interest in the child and their life.  Opportunities to talk and listen can occur throughout the day – at mealtimes; on the return from school; on a car journey or when settling at bedtime.

Some situations may require physical intervention to ensure safety, or risk assessment to assess the safest method of working with a child.  Some of the aforementioned strategies can help to de-escalate situations or form part of a risk management strategy. 

Keyworker sessions for children in residential care can provide a space to discuss particular difficulties away from the ‘heat of the moment’, and plan ways of reducing undesirable behaviours.

A comprehensive understanding of a child’s history can be vital in planning responses for particular identified issues

Managing Violence and Aggression

Violence and aggression can often be brought about through confusion, frustration, anxiety, fear or anger in the child.  These feelings can create a sense of panic that is reacted to in a ‘fight or flight’ manner – either by running away from the situation or confronting it. 

It is therefore important for staff/carers to remain as calm as possible in moments of high tension or stress, and to intervene as early as possible with strategies to divert or avoid escalation of behaviour to the point of violence.  Early intervention will require the staff or carers to have sound knowledge of the child, and be aware of how they may react to certain situations/interventions and their coping strategies in times of stress.  This emphasises the need to obtain accurate information on admission in relation to a child’s history and behaviour, and how their behaviour has been managed successfully in the past.

In addition to knowledge of the individual child, the staff/carers should build up a picture of the children in the placement as a group, and through observation and discussion recognise how individuals function within the group, and how the group manages conflict with and without intervention from the staff/carers. 

In residential settings, time spent in the staff meeting will need to examine relationships between children and in the group in general, and consider appropriate methods for managing ongoing conflict between groups and individuals. 

Recognising if certain children respond to firmer boundaries, diversion or engaging and discussing the issue can help staff/carers to plan consistent and agreed approaches to proactively manage conflict as it arises.

Staff/carers will need to discuss and identify possible situations or events that can trigger a child’s defensive responses to moments of anxiety, frustration or tension.   Once triggers are identified they can be planned for to minimise and contain difficulties.  Such moments can include:

• Family contact;
• Court appearances;
• Social work appointments;
• Being isolated from the group;
• Mealtimes;
• Bedtimes;
• Getting up in the morning;
• Going to and returning from school;
• Periods of boredom during unstructured time;
• New situations, people or events;
• Handover or shift/carer changes;
• Discharge from the home.

Defusing Behaviour

Strategic retreat        

By using humour, ignoring minor behaviours or allowing the child opportunity to retreat.  It is often beneficial to steer the issue to a position whereby the child/people can be given options to resolve the issue or retreat without ‘losing face’ as research has suggested that humiliation, embarrassment and ‘disrespect’ can act as a catalyst for anger, aggression and violence.

Assessing the Situation   

Try and obtain all points of view so that the children involved feel they have been heard, and then offering action, solution, mediation and negotiation can help direct the children into more positive ways of diffusing behaviour.

The audience      

Does it help manage the situation if other people are present? Or does this increase the likelihood of behaviour escalating?

Additional Staff

Would this help in splitting the children in dispute in order to calm down before discussing the conflict?

Feelings   

Often acknowledging feelings in the child can help them to recognise why they are doing what they are doing.  Offer alternative methods of managing the feelings.

Identify the ‘problem’

Often misperceptions in a child’s thoughts or beliefs about another’s behaviour can lead to aggression and violence – clarifying wrong assumptions can help diffuse situations.

Aggression and Violence in the Later Stages

Once the situation escalates to the point whereby physical intervention may be imminent, there are several steps that can help manage the situation.

• Be present – be visible.  Office tasks should wait;
• Remove the audience;
• Stay as calm as possible;
• Maintain a non threatening body posture and voice tone;
• Remove any objects that can be used as weapons;
• Avoid threatening statements;
• Avoid getting too physically close unless it will help calm the child;
• Recognise feelings and allow a vent for them;
• Identify the problem;
• Reassure the child and give alternative methods to deal with the issue.

Physical intervention should be used as last resort, putting safety as the paramount consideration.

Recording

Children's homes may now record measures of control, discipline, restraint and sanctions electronically, so long as the system is secure.  Managers may wish to retain bound books, however, as per the previous regulations and standards.  The list of matters that must be recorded includes:

1. The name of the child concerned
2. Details of the child's behaviour leading to the use of the measure
3. A description of the measure used
4. The date, time and location of the use of the measure
5. The name of the person using the measure, and of any other person present
6. The effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure
7. A description of any injury to the child concerned or any other person and any medical treatment administered
8. Confirmation that the person authorised by the registered provider to make the record has spoken to the child concerned and the person using the measure about the use of the measure and
9. The signature of the person authorised by the registered provider to make the record.

Where a measure of restraint is used on a child the record must include:

1. The duration of the measure of restraint; and
2. Details of any methods used to avoid the need to use that measure.

Appendix 4 – Positive Behaviour Management in Schools

This Appendix was prepared by Jonas Torrance, Behaviour Management Co-ordinator, Oxfordshire Autism Service.

References:

The Attach Team
‘Managing Challenging Behaviour’ OFSTED Report March 2005
Department of Education and Skills: First House of Commons Report, January 2006

Reference should also be made to the Behaviour and Discipline in Schools - Guide for heads and school staff on behaviour and discipline..

Behaviour Management

Schools are pressured environments for pupils. Our vibrant and busy institutions provide an exciting setting where pupils can be strongly motivated to learn both academic and social skills. The other side to the coin is that excitement and the close proximity of many other pupils can also lead to inappropriate behaviour and those pupils who are vulnerable may feel engulfed by the environment.

Clear Expectations and Consistency of Approach in the Classroom

Involve Pupils

• Pupils should be given choices and control when planning responses to behaviour, appropriate to age and development. If the pupil ‘owns’ their behaviour they will be more likely to engage positively in changing it;
• In a classroom setting pupils need to be encouraged to look to the teacher as the source of order and stability. Successful teachers usually find that they need to make clear boundaries at the outset and then gradually enable pupils in the class to create and maintain an appropriate shared way of co-existing in the environment. Each classroom has its own subtle dynamic which the teacher needs to be aware of and develop positively;
• ‘Fairness’ is a central issue for pupils in schools. Although it is difficult to scrupulously maintain fairness, equality and consistency must be seen to be valued by the teacher. It is helpful to remind individual pupils of the needs of the whole class and likewise demonstrate to the whole class that they are seen and valued as individuals.

Behind the Behaviour

• When considering difficult behaviour, it can be helpful to understand what is motivating the behaviour – what is the pupil trying to tell you?
• Listen to the pupil, observe and pay attention in detail to their language, voice tone and behaviour.  Note their worries and concerns.  Discuss conflict present and describe how to resolve it;
• Try to acknowledge the feelings behind the behaviour – and offer ways of managing such feelings;
• Ignore minor difficulties if it helps – but do not ignore the pupil.  Attend to the pupil’s distress whilst offering coping strategies, distraction or just someone who is willing to listen.

Be Clear and Brief

• When challenging difficult behaviour, do not assume that the pupil knows how you want them to behave.  Describe how they can behave to achieve what you are requesting.  Be clear and brief.  If necessary break the required behaviour into achievable steps;
• Try not to overwhelm a pupil with orders or requests.  Try and avoid framing requests as ultimatums. Give directions for appropriate behaviour in small, manageable steps.  Always demonstrate to the pupil what a positive outcome would be and show them that you believe in their ability to achieve it. If you do not believe that the pupil can achieve the positive outcome, then clearly the task needs to be further broken down until both staff and pupil feel optimistic.

Avoid Power Struggles

• Try to avoid becoming trapped in pointless arguments - calmly stick to giving your message, and do not get distracted into arguing about your point;
• Some pupils may feel powerless about their circumstances.  For  some, the ‘power’ to provoke a reaction in others can be one of the few feelings of control available.  Staff should be aware of their own personal ‘triggers’ when working with pupils, and try to avoid acting on impulse when confronted with a behaviour or situation that is designed to provoke or ‘wind them up’.

Try and ‘Connect’ with the pupil

• Opportunities to develop a positive relationship with a pupil can help the member of staff ‘connect’ with that person.  A positive relationship can be beneficial in difficult moments of tension or conflict.  Staff should take the opportunity to become familiar with a pupil’s history – not only recorded on file but from discussions with the pupil (where appropriate);
• Giving attention when it is least expected and not sought, can be a useful way of showing interest in the pupil and their life. 

Sanctions

• Give reasons for responses or sanctions – ensure the pupil can understand as best they can the process for arriving at a particular response, and how the pupil could change the outcome by behaving differently;
• When considering sanctions, try to use natural consequences for actions – or use sanctions that are reflective of the incident to be sanctioned.  Ensure sanctions are clear and achievable. Try not to single pupils out for sanctions in front of the class.

Some situations may require physical intervention to ensure safety, or risk assessment to assess the safest method of working with a pupil.  Some of the aforementioned strategies can help to de-escalate situations or form part of a risk management strategy. 

One to one sessions for pupils with senior staff can provide a space to discuss particular difficulties away from the ‘heat of the moment’, and plan ways of reducing undesirable behaviours.

A comprehensive understanding of a pupil’s history can be vital in planning responses for particular identified issues. A close partnership with parents is very useful in planning a consistent approach. Avoid using parent involvement as a sanction for the pupil.

Managing Violence and Aggression

Violence and aggression can often be brought about through confusion, frustration, anxiety, fear or anger in the pupil.  These feelings can create a sense of panic that is reacted to in a ‘fight or flight’ manner – either by running away from the situation or confronting it. Lone pupils who act violently are fairly rare; staff need to monitor these individuals closely and seek the involvement of other agencies if necessary. More commonly violence is part of a group activity which has become distorted and enlarged. In such situations it is important for staff to note who else is in the vicinity or who the pupil’s friends are. Often pupils who have become violent have been pressured into the situation by others and their bravado may cover strong fear and confusion.

It is therefore important for staff to remain as calm as possible in moments of high tension or stress, and to intervene as early as possible with strategies to divert or avoid escalation of behaviour to the point of violence.  Early intervention will require the staff or carers to have sound knowledge of the pupil, and be aware of how they may react to certain situations/interventions and their coping strategies in times of stress.  This emphasises the need to obtain accurate information on admission in relation to a pupil’s history and behaviour, and how their behaviour has been managed successfully in the past.

In addition to knowledge of the individual pupil, the staff should build up a picture of how individuals function within the group, and how the group manages conflict with and without intervention from the staff.

Staff members need to be aware that lunch breaks can seem long for pupils. Staff who are on duty need to keep contact with key pupils and engage with them at regular intervals in order to break the time up and help the pupil know that they are being observed and contained.

Recognising if certain pupils respond to firmer boundaries, diversion or engaging and discussing the issue can help staff to plan consistent and agreed approaches to proactively manage conflict as it arises.

Staff will need to discuss and identify possible situations or events that can trigger a pupil’s defensive responses to moments of anxiety, frustration or tension.   Once triggers are identified they can be planned for to minimise and contain difficulties.  Such moments can include:

• Contact with estranged family members;
• Being isolated from the group;
• Going to and returning from school;
• Periods of boredom during unstructured time;
• New situations, people or events;
• Particular classes;
• Drug/alcohol abuse;
• Particular groups of pupils.

Defusing Behaviour

Strategic retreat        

Can be made by using humour, ignoring minor behaviours or allowing the pupil opportunity to retreat.  It is often beneficial to steer the issue to a position whereby the pupil/people can be given options to resolve the issue or retreat without ‘losing face’ as research has suggested that humiliation, embarrassment and ‘disrespect’ can act as a catalyst for anger, aggression and violence. It is worth noting that ‘losing face’ is also a big issue for staff. In these situations staff need to remember that a pupil who has retreated shouting obscenities is a pupil who has avoided a physically violent situation. They can be picked up and addressed much more easily later in the school day.

Assessing the Situation   

Try and obtain all points of view so that the pupils involved feel they have been heard, and then offering action, solution, mediation and negotiation can help direct the pupils into more positive ways of diffusing behaviour.

The audience       

Does it help manage the situation if other people are present? Or does this increase the likelihood of behaviour escalating?

Additional Staff

Would this help in splitting the pupils in dispute in order to calm down before discussing the conflict?

Feelings   

Often acknowledging feelings in the pupil can help them to recognise why they are doing what they are doing.  Offer alternative methods of managing the feelings.

Identify the ‘problem’ Often misperceptions in a pupil’s thoughts or beliefs about another’s behaviour can lead to aggression and violence – clarifying wrong assumptions can help diffuse situations.

Aggression and Violence in the Later Stages

Once the situation escalates to the point whereby physical intervention may be imminent, there are several steps that can help manage the situation.

• Be present – be visible;
• Remove the audience;
• Stay as calm as possible;
• Maintain a non threatening body posture and voice tone;
• Remove any objects that can be used as weapons;
• Avoid threatening statements;
• Avoid getting too physically close unless it will help calm the pupil;
• Recognise feelings and allow a vent for them;
• Identify the problem;
• Reassure the pupil and give alternative methods to deal with the issue.

Physical intervention should be used as last resort, putting safety as the paramount consideration.                                      

Appendix 5 – Additional Guidance for Services working with Disabled Children and Young People 

Managing behaviour is a specific task when caring for disabled children and young people who display extreme behaviour in association with learning and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorders.  Services therefore need to ensure that the following key elements are in place: 

1. Written Agreements and Plans

In addition to points listed under the General Behaviour Management Policy, the policy in services working with children who have learning or Autistic Spectrum Disorder should include detailed written information on children and young people who may require physical interventions.  This should cover those who may either injure themselves or others on a regular basis.   

2. Detailed Information on the Child

Services must have detailed information on the child, which includes a full medical history, detailed information on the triggers and distracters for the child’s behaviour and on the child’s communication. It is essential this information is gathered from all key people involved with the child, e.g. school, parents to ensure consistency. 

3. Individual Plans

The Individual Plan should include a Behaviour Management Plan for each child who needs one.  The plan should be centred on the child’s needs and strength’s and include plans for important aspects, e.g. significant routines, likes/dislikes, special food/events, triggers to be avoided.  It should include: 

• What the child likes doing – to distract, reward or prompt them;
• What is stressful for the child and how to avoid these experiences, or where unavoidable, how to plan for them;
• Behaviours of the child that indicate that stress is being experienced and how to respond to reduce it;
• The diversionary or de-escalation techniques that work for this child;
• The early intervention strategies to be used;
• A risk assessment that balances use of physical intervention against not using it;
• The sanctioned physical intervention strategies to be used and when;
• The staff/carers who have been trained and are competent to use them;
• Risk Assessment of the RPI on the individual concerned.

4. Establish a Communication Picture

Many disabled children requiring behaviour management plans will be children with communication difficulties.  It is particularly important that there is a clear communication picture for each child.  This should describe how the child uses gestures, signs and body language to communicate.  As a baseline, it should include how happiness and distress are indicated. 

5. Written Consent

Parents should be involved in the process of drawing up both behaviour management plans and communication pictures.  It is essential that parents understand what the service can do to manage behaviour and what it cannot.  Some sanctions may be appropriate for parents to use but could not be adopted by a service.  Parents and services should reach full, signed agreement on techniques and interventions to be used.   

6. Training

All staff, short break foster carers, sitters etc. must receive training before being linked to a child whose plan includes physical interventions.   

7. Introductions

Time must be given for the introductory process to a service such as a short break carer, sitter, leisure group etc. to children and young people with behavioural management needs.  The introductory process should also be used to ensure that child specific information is fully understood by carers/staff who must be confident with the information and how to respond should difficulties arise.   

8. Recording

The child’s behaviour management plan should outline key behaviours which are being addressed. Any incident of challenging behaviour should be recorded to allow settings to monitor a child’s behaviour and how it changes. Such records should also allow monitoring of the number of incidents, triggers, staffing required, physical interventions used and the degree needed i.e. breakaways or restrictive physical interventions. These records must be reviewed regularly by the appropriate manager. 

9. Prohibited Sanctions

Medication can only be used to manage behaviour routinely when this is indicated in the child’s care plan, which also needs to include information on side effects.  Rapid tranquillising should not be used. 

Therapeutic devices, wheelchairs for example, should not be used as a way of controlling behaviour, e.g. strapping children and young people into their wheelchairs although they may be used to manage risks, in that case, their use needs to be agreed in advance with families and be recorded in the care plan.

It is not acceptable for staff to lock a child in a room on their own as a way of managing their challenging behaviour. If this is done as part of crisis management during a difficult incident, it must be reported to a senior manager so that advice/guidance can be given about how to manage the child in the future.

End