Restraint

Sometimes your carers may physically stop you from doing very dangerous things, such as hurting yourself, seriously hurting someone else or damaging things.  This is called “physical restraint”.  Sometimes you may be physically stopped from going out somewhere if those caring for you think that you may be about to do something that would be very dangerous.

No one likes having to physically stop young people from doing dangerous things; it is really upsetting for carers, for the young person involved and often for others that see it happen.  There are some very strict rules about when and how young people should be restrained by the adults that care for them.

There are also some rules about what should happen after it has been done.  You should always have the chance to talk about what happened and how you felt.  You should be told about these rules when you first go to live in a Children’s Home and if you are in a foster family they will tell you what they would do if you were doing dangerous things.

Sometimes the adults around you have no choice but to hold you physically, but this should always be because they care about you, and don’t want you to get hurt. You should not be held physically as a punishment.