Warning on restraint risks

A NEW report on the use of physical restraint to control behaviour of troubled youngsters in care warns that it is “a high-risk intervention”.

Published yesterday, the report entitled Best Practice Guidelines in the Use of Physical Restraint (Child Care: Residential Units) says the use of physical restraint "has been associated with physical injuries and/or psychological distress, both to the young people and to those carrying out the restraints".

It warns there have been "well-documented cases where children and adults have died as a consequence of being physically restrained" and that safety warnings regarding the use of physical restraint should include specific medical conditions, such as a child or young person with respiratory problems.