East Sussex County Council Restrictive Intervention Guidance

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Introduction

This document is based on the DfE national guidance DFE Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools 2026. Schools, settings and colleges should ensure their staff are familiar with this document. Settings should continue to follow ‘Use of reasonable force in schools’ until 31st March 2026. ‘Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools’ comes into effect on 1st April 2026. We will update our guidance in line with any national changes.

The Council believes all children and young people should feel safe, secure and be in an environment free from abuse, bullying and violence. Boundaries and behavioural expectations in all settings should be clear. They should provide opportunities for children to maximise their potential. Most pupils do not behave in an aggressive or unpredictable way. They attend their school, setting or college in an environment which is conducive to learning.

Decisions about the education, wellbeing and safeguarding of a pupil should consider their views, personal context and any reasonable adjustments they may need to overcome barriers to learning. This is particularly important in relation to responding to and supporting detrimental behaviours. Behaviour is communication. We must focus on understanding and responding to the underlying needs that are leading to the behaviours displayed. This will improve pupil behaviour and wellbeing and reduce incidents of restrictive intervention.

ESCC is committed to supporting settings to reduce their need for restrictive interventions. This includes reasonable force and seclusion. It is important for settings to maintain a caring, welcoming ethos which establishes a safe, secure and stable environment. This enables pupils to grow, develop and learn. Settings should proactively minimise the need to use restrictive interventions. This can be through early support, prevention and de-escalation strategies. When necessary, settings should help school staff feel more confident in knowing how to use these interventions in a safe, appropriate and lawful way. Settings can take steps to achieve this, through their policies and staff training programmes. The majority of effective behaviour support originates from Quality First Teaching, building positive relationships with pupils and being responsive to a pupil’s social emotional and mental health needs.

For pupils who present difficult or dangerous behaviours, redirection, diffusion, prevention and avoidance are the first tools in managing violence. This will tend to make control and restraint unnecessary in many situations. There are times when the use of restrictive intervention and reasonable force is appropriate and necessary. For this reason, there is a duty on all schools in England to have a policy to reflect this practice. This is best placed within the school’s discipline or behaviour policy.

This document intends to help staff feel more confident about expectations. It clarifies the responsibilities of headteachers and governing bodies.

This guidance acknowledges that situations will arise where the use of force may be required in dealing with conflict. This may be when other measures have failed, or staff face a one-off incident that did not have a planned risk assessment. In these situations, parental consent is not required for the use of reasonable force.

Support from East Sussex County Council

The Council provides direct support for behaviour, SEND needs and restrictive intervention planning via:

Inclusion Helpline
Inclusion Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
ESCC Link Adviser
Czone

These services provide:

Advice on managing difficult or dangerous behaviour
Guidance on de‑escalation and prevention
Support in understanding restrictive intervention expectations
Assistance interpreting and applying the new 2026 national guidance

This support is suited to:

Teachers
Headteachers
Senior leaders
SENCOs
Governing bodies seeking clarity

For a summary of available support read the ESCC School and Setting Support Offer [61.7 KB] [docx].

Definitions and Terminology

Restrictive intervention: a means to prevent, restrict, or subdue movement of the body, or part of the body, of a pupil. Restrictive interventions is used to describe both physical and non-physical actions aimed to restrain pupils in different ways.

Reasonable force: a term used in legislation which includes physical restrictive interventions. All members of school staff have the legal power to use reasonable force in limited circumstances. Reasonable means using no more force than is necessary for the least amount of time. The application of this will depend on the circumstances.

Significant incident: any incident where the use of force goes beyond appropriate physical contact between pupils and staff. This is described in ‘Other physical contact with pupils’ within this document. This includes when physical force is used to implement a non-physical restrictive intervention.

Seclusion: a non-disciplinary intervention involving keeping a pupil confined to a place away from others, and preventing them from leaving. This is either by physical obstruction, blocking, or making them believe they will be punished if they try to leave.

Restraint: a term used in legislation referring to a non-disciplinary intervention which immobilises a pupil or limits their movement. This may or may not include direct physical contact. For example, holding a pupil’s arms to their sides or removing a pupil’s crutches would both be considered forms of restraint.

The various restrictive interventions above have been defined for completeness and should not be construed as an endorsement or otherwise for their use in schools. Some will not be relevant to most schools.

Reasonable force can cover a wide range of actions that involve a degree of physical contact with the pupil. Whether the force used is ‘reasonable’ will always depend on the circumstances.

Deciding on whether the use of force is justified will depend in part upon the context in which the behaviour takes place. The test is whether the force used is proportionate to the consequences it is intended to prevent.

The degree of force used should be the minimum needed to achieve the desired result. Use of force could not be justified to prevent trivial antisocial behaviour.

Any response must be reasonable, proportionate and use the minimum force necessary to prevent injury and maintain safety.

Restrictive Interventions

The safety of pupils and staff is the main aim when applying restrictive intervention and reasonable force.

School’s, colleges and settings restrictive interventions should:

be avoided wherever possible
be seen as a rare occurrence and as a last resort
seek to ensure the safety of the pupil, other pupils and/or staff
be part of a whole school behaviour policy
be used in ways that maintain the safety and dignity of all concerned

Settings should monitor and continually review their use of restrictive intervention and reasonable force. They should ensure these key underpinning principles are being followed and applied appropriately. Force must never be used as a punishment - this is always unlawful.

When considering if restrictive interventions is appropriate:

Is it necessary?

Is there a more effective, less restrictive way to manage the situation e.g. de-escalation.
What is the current level of risk to the pupil and/or others.
What is the likelihood of the intervention being successful? Will it escalate the situation and cause further harm?
What would happen if you did not take action?

Is it proportionate?

The least amount of force, the least amount of restrictive intervention, should be used for the least amount of time.
If the intervention is escalating, has the approach been reconsidered? Has an alternative strategy been attempted?
What are the personal circumstances of the pupil? For example, What is their size, age and cognitive understanding? Is there medical need or specific vulnerability?
Does the pupil have any SEND; particularly communication difficulties or sensory sensitivities? Autistic pupils may have strong sensory sensitivities. These may or may not be identified. In these circumstances restrictive intervention could cause emotional harm or psychological trauma.

Have you considered the pupils welfare?

Has the pupil experienced or witnessed physical, emotional or sexual abuse? Are there current child protection concerns? In these circumstances restrictive intervention could cause emotional harm or psychological trauma.
Has the pupil’s dignity been considered? For example, the location or environment where the intervention is used, such as in front of peers.
Clear and calm communication should be used to inform the pupil of what is happening and why. You should inform pupils of what they need to do.
Staff should seek to understand how the pupil is feeling. They should use this information to determine whether the restrictive intervention should be, or continue to be, applied, reduced or stopped.

Restrictive Intervention should only be used where it is necessary to prevent risk of serious harm. This includes injury to the child or young person, other children or young people, staff, the public or others, if no intervention or a less restrictive intervention were undertaken.

All members of school staff have a duty of care to prevent serious harm. Where there is a high or immediate risk of death or serious injury, any member of staff is justified in taking any necessary action. This must be consistent with the principle of using minimum force. This could include preventing a pupil from running off a pavement into a busy road or preventing a pupil from striking another pupil or adult with a dangerous object.

School, setting and college staff may use restrictive intervention for:

removal of a disruptive pupil from a classroom
restraint of a pupil to prevent them harming themselves
restraint of a pupil to prevent them harming others
prevention of a pupil leaving if leaving would risk their safety.

This is not an exhaustive list.

The use of restrictive intervention should:

be in the best interests of the child or young person,
be reasonable and proportionate to the circumstances,
use the minimum force necessary for the minimum time necessary,
be based on a comprehensive risk assessment,
have regard for other young people and adults present, and
respect the safety and dignity of all concerned.

Settings should seek to reduce the need for interventions as far as is practicable. Several steps have been identified to achieve this:

maintain a positive culture
promote ethical practice
maintain a child-centred approach
understand high-risk behaviour or violent behaviour
promote an awareness in staff of their own reactions to aggressive or violent behaviour and the effect of their mood on others
promote self-control in children and young people
use authority appropriately
maintain a policy to manage behaviour positively
ensure that plans and risk assessments are reviewed and followed consistently by staff
promote positive relationships

The decision on whether or not to physically intervene is down to the professional judgement of the staff member concerned. It should always be dependent on the individual circumstances and wider context of the pupil’s needs, as well as the school policy.

Reasonable Force and Seclusion

Restraint is to immobilise or hold back a pupil or limit their movements. This may or may not include direct physical contact. Force is typically used in more extreme circumstances. This could be when two pupils are fighting and refuse to separate without physical intervention.

In most circumstances interventions will be used reactively in response to an unforeseen event. It is very rare for this intervention to be planned for a pupil as part of their behaviour support plan.

Who can use reasonable force

All members of school staff have a legal power to use reasonable force in certain circumstances.

To prevent or stop a pupil from:

causing injury to themselves or others
committing a criminal offence
damaging property
causing disorder among pupils at the school, whether during a teaching session or otherwise

Interventions require staff to exercise professional judgement in response to an incident where there is a concern about the safety of the pupil or other pupils/staff. The member of staff should undertake a dynamic risk assessment, including their judgement about the capacity of the pupil to make a safe choice. Unless the situation is urgent, staff should seek assistance from appropriately trained staff. If this is not available, any response must be reasonable, proportionate and use the minimum force necessary to prevent injury and maintain safety.

Use of reasonable force to search pupils

Headteachers and staff they authorise have a statutory power to search a pupil or their possessions where they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the pupil may have a prohibited item.
A member of staff can use such force as is reasonable to search for legal prohibited items, but not to search for items banned under the schools rules.

Unacceptable use of force

It is illegal to use force on a pupil for the purpose of punishment.
Pupils should not be restrained in a way that affects their airway, breathing or circulation, for example, by covering the mouth and/or nose, or applying pressure to the neck region or abdomen.
The use of force can be dangerous, particularly where it occurs on the ground.
If a pupil is unintentionally held on the ground, staff should release their holds or re-position into a safer alternative or standing position as quickly as possible.
Where appropriate, the pupil should receive a medical assessment and treatment for any injuries as soon as possible.
For any form of restraint, including seated and standing, there is a risk of physical and psychological harm. This should be avoided where possible.

Other physical contact with pupils

Schools should not have a ‘no contact’ policy. Settings should not grant any requests by parents or staff members not to use reasonable force and/or other restrictive interventions. The adoption of a ‘no contact’ policy at school can leave staff unable to intervene.

There are circumstances when it is appropriate for staff to have some physical contact with pupils which does not give rise to any question over the use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions.

to give first aid.
to guide or escort pupils, such as holding the hand of a pupil at the front/back of the line when going to assembly, a school trip, or when helping a pupil to a space they have chosen to access to self-regulate
to comfort a distressed pupil.
to congratulate or praise a pupil, for example a pat on the back or a handshake.
to demonstrate exercises or techniques during PE lessons or sports coaching

In assessing whether physical contact is appropriate in a given situation, the member of staff should use their judgement and have regard to:

the school’s child protection (or any other relevant) policy.
the applicable circumstances, such as whether there are other adults present.
the individual pupil’s age.
any other material factors, including but not limited to whether: the pupil has SEND or other vulnerabilities.

Seclusion

Seclusion is a non-disciplinary intervention. It involves keeping a pupil confined to a place away from others and prevented from leaving. It should only be used as a safety measure to protect others from harm when a pupil is experiencing high levels of emotional or behavioural dysregulation. In such circumstances, the pupil is not acting with intent. Seclusion should not be implemented by staff through threat of punishment.

The place to which the pupil is confined should be safe. It should not feel threatening or intimidating to the pupil. The pupil should be supervised at all times during the period of seclusion. As soon as the immediate risk of harm has reduced, the pupil should be allowed to leave. An incident involving the use of seclusion must be recorded.

Occasionally, it may be in the best interests of a pupil to use planned RPI as part of their overall behaviour support. This should be an agreed strategy because of a risk assessment. This must have been discussed with the pupil, their parent/carer and key members of staff. The main focus of the wider behaviour support programme should be to identify underlying reasons for the behaviour and to devise effective strategies to reduce the need for restrictive intervention.

Recording and Reporting

Where a pupil requires restrictive intervention, there should be a person-centred written risk assessment in place. This should include:

an understanding of the causes and triggers of the behaviours
effective preventative strategies
planned responses to levels of risk.

The plan should be reviewed and updated as the pupil’s needs and behaviours change.

Recording the use of force (statutory guidance)

All schools must ensure that a procedure is in place for recording each significant incident in which a member of staff uses force on a pupil. This is part of the school’s duty under section 93A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Governing bodies of maintained schools and the proprietors of other schools are responsible for this.

Staff must record incidents as soon as practicable after the event.
The staff member(s) involved should record the incident. They should endeavour to do this no later than the same day.
The procedure must require that a record of any incident is made in writing as soon as practicable after the incident. This requirement applies even if the use of restrictive interventions in certain circumstances is agreed with parents as part of a pupil’s behaviour support plan.
School must share the process and guidance with the governing body as well as future guidance issued by the secretary of state.

Schools should record the following details as a minimum:

names of pupil and staff directly involved.
any relevant needs or circumstances of the pupil involved. This should include whether the pupil has an identified special educational need or disability and their SEN status code.
time, date, location and approximate duration of the intervention.
a brief account of the incident. This must include what led up to the incident, identified or potential triggers if known, any preventative or de-escalation strategies used, and (where relevant) what type of reasonable force was applied, the degree of force, and details of any physical injuries sustained
brief account of why the use of force was assessed as necessary.
any post-incident support. This may be details of any medical treatment for injuries or other adverse impacts.

Reporting the use of force (statutory guidance)

Governing bodies of maintained schools and the proprietors of other schools must ensure that a procedure is in place for reporting each significant use of force to the parents of the pupil involved. This must be as soon as practicable after the incident. They should endeavour to do this no later than the same day.

A report of the incident made to parents should include the following details as a minimum:

time, date, location and approximate duration of the intervention.
brief account of why the intervention was assessed as necessary in that instance.
brief account of what type of force was applied, and the degree of force
details of any physical injuries sustained, if applicable.

The requirement to report applies even if the use of restrictive interventions in certain circumstances is agreed with parents as part of a pupil’s behaviour support plan. Schools should communicate this information to parents in writing. For example, via email or online messaging system.

Best practice would include inviting parents to have a follow-up discussion about the incident. This could involve a discussion about:

any behavioural triggers or warning signs of an impending incident
whether any agreed behaviour support plans were followed
what de-escalation strategies were used and how effective they were
what might be done differently in the future. The school may use this information to amend any existing behaviour support plans.

Recording and reporting the use of seclusion and non-force related restraint

Governing bodies of maintained schools and the proprietors of other schools must ensure that a procedure is in place for recording each seclusion or restraint incident. This is part of the school’s duty under the Schools (Recording and Reporting of Seclusion and Restraint) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2025.

An incident of restraint may occur with or without direct physical contact. Restraint incidents that occur without direct physical contact must be recorded under the procedures outlined in this section. The obstruction of doors or confining pupils against their will due to behaviour is not lawful. Incidents must be recorded as soon as practicable after the event. It should be recorded by the staff member(s) involved and they should endeavour to do this no later than the same day.

Schools should record the following details as a minimum:

names of pupil and staff directly involved.
time, date, location and approximate duration of the intervention.
any relevant needs or circumstances of the pupil involved. This should include whether the pupil has an identified special educational need or disability and their SEN status code.
brief account of why the intervention was assessed as necessary in that instance.
details of any physical injuries sustained, if applicable.
any post-incident support. This should include details of any medical treatment for injuries or other adverse impact.

Governing bodies of maintained schools must ensure there is a procedure for supplying a copy of the written record of the seclusion or restraint incident to parents. Independent schools and non-maintained special schools must ensure there is a procedure for providing information about the seclusion or restraint incident in writing to parents. Parents must be informed as soon as practicable after the incident. Schools should endeavour to do this no later than the same day.

Policy and Practice

Developing a policy on the use of restrictive interventions

School leaders should develop and implement a policy on the use of restrictive interventions. This should align with the school’s legal duties. This includes obligations under:

the Human Rights Act 1998
the Equality Act 2010
the requirements for recording and reporting incidents where staff use force or seclusion on a pupil.

The policy may be part of the school’s behaviour policy or a standalone document. It should be accessible, consistent, and straightforward to follow. It should set out the circumstances in which staff may use reasonable force and seclusion and the procedures for recording and reporting incidents.

It should emphasise the importance of minimising the need to use restrictive interventions. This may be through prevention and de-escalation. It should set out specific whole-school measures, as well as tailored approaches for individual pupils.

Whole-school measures can include:

consideration of how the school and classroom environment can support all pupils to achieve and thrive.
sharing best practice for whole-class behaviour management.
training staff in effective communication strategies. For example using appropriate tone of voice and empathy to aid de-escalation.
development of working staff-pupil relationships and trust.
recording and analysing data on the use of interventions to inform improvement planning.

Individual approaches can include:

working closely with parents to support individual pupils.
strategies to support individual pupils based on their identified needs. This includes the development of behaviour support plans. Where a pupil has a disability, schools have a legal obligation to support pupils with reasonable adjustments, making sure they can benefit from what the school offer.
giving pupils time, space and strategies to calm down before their behaviour escalates.

Communicating the policy on the use of restrictive interventions to all members of the community is important. This builds and maintains the school’s culture and makes expectations transparent to all. School leaders should ensure that the policy is available to all staff, pupils and parents.

When establishing and communicating their policy on supporting behaviour (including restrictive intervention) settings must acknowledge their legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for children with SEND. The policy should cross-reference other relevant policies. This may include policies on Child Protection, Inclusion and Health and Safety. Settings need to make their own decisions about staff training to deliver these policies effectively and safely. The head teacher should consider whether staff require training to carry out their responsibilities and meet the needs of pupils.

The Council recommends that staff are trained by a British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) accredited training provider, before carrying out restraint. This ensures both the pupil and adult are safe. De-escalation training and strategies included in ‘Restrictive Intervention and Reasonable Force’ training programmes, give staff the skills to prevent the need for restraint. This gives staff the confidence to carry out restrictive intervention effectively and safely.

BILD accredited providers

Settings can access inclusion support through the Inclusion Helpline or their SPOC/link advisor. These can provide advice, guidance and training on supporting difficult or dangerous behaviour. This helps in preventing the need for Restrictive Intervention & Reasonable Force. Contact 01273 481967 or tass@eastsussex.gov.uk . As part of support to school, all schools have a named link adviser.

East Sussex Education services do not carry out or advise on Restrictive Physical Intervention techniques. Settings should source training directly from approved providers:

The Voice of Children and Young People

In 2012, Ofsted obtained the views of children and young people in care regarding restraint, for a report by the Children’s Rights Director for England. One group explained how they thought staff often created situations which got out of control and ended up needing the use of restraint.

Many of their suggestions on how staff can calm a child before needing to use restraint are relevant to settings when creating and communicating their behaviour support approach. For example:

Staff should not scream at children
Understand the different ways to calm each young person down
Keep talking calmly, in a calm voice, and try to communicate well
Persuade them to calm down
Reward good behaviour
Try to solve whatever problems are leading to the need for restraint
Disengage from the situation so that it does not escalate
Help children to express their feelings in different ways
Use activities to help people calm down
Let the child walk away from the situation.

Complaints

There should be a system in place to deal with complaints received about the use of force.

When a complaint is made, the person making the complaint must prove that the allegation is true. It is not for the member of staff to show that they acted reasonably. All complaints about the use of force should be investigated. This investigation should be thorough, prompt, and appropriate.

Schools should refer to the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education” DfE Guidance where an allegation of using excessive force is made.

Should the Council receive a complaint about excessive force or restrictive physical intervention being used inappropriately, the complaint may be investigated by the Schools’ Safeguarding Team and/or the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

The setting will be expected to provide evidence of:

staff training from a BILD or ICM accredited provider
recording and monitoring in line with the DfE Use of Reasonable Force Guidance
advice given by the BILD or ICM accredited training provider chosen by the setting

Further Guidance

Further guidance on restrictive intervention can be found at:

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