Use of restraint: How, where, why and how often are restrictive practices used across different care settings and services (including foster care, education, and health and residential care, including secure care) and what are the key gaps or inconsistencies in current data and recording?

Background

The Promise sets a clear ambition that children and young people should be cared for in ways that minimise distress and avoids the need for restraint, unless it is the only option to ensure their safety. Current Care Inspectorate data provides insight into the use of restrictive practices in residential childcare settings, but evidence remains uneven across other parts of their lives where restraint may occur. Recent work through The Promise Rethinking Restraint pilot demonstrated that meaningful reductions in physical restraint are achievable when organisations invest in trauma‑informed cultures, reflective practice, and strong relational approaches.

Understanding how successful local practice can be sustainably scaled and embedded nationally would support more effective policy and guide implementation. Key to this will be building a clearer picture of how best practice varies for children with different needs and experiences, and how the safety of children experiencing the ‘care system’, their caregivers, and those around them can be prioritised while working to meet these ambitions.