The use of force to control or restrain pupils - new guidance and an updated model policy

Monday 7th June 2010

New "use of force" guidance was published by the DCSF in April - and should be used by schools until (when? if?) the Department for Education (DfE) updates the documents. The full guidance, which includes guidance on effective practice and how to record and report significant incidents, is posted on the ECA website. There is also a short summary, and an updated "Reasonable Force and Restraint" model policy for schools to adapt for their own use.

From September 2010, governing bodies must ensure that a procedure is in place for recording each significant incident in which a member of staff uses force on a pupil, and for reporting these incidents to the pupil's parents as soon as practicable after the incident. Governing bodies must take all reasonable steps to ensure that staff follow the procedure - as clerks, we can bring this to the attention of our governing bodies, and perhaps suggest that the Nominated Governor for safeguarding checks that the new procedures are in place and that staff have been informed and are aware of the need to report and record incidents properly. There is a suggested report proforma in the guidance and the model policy.

In Essex, the Local Authority's School Complaints Toolkit has been updated (May 2010) to reflect national developments with the emergence of the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) as a stage for complaints beyond the governing body.

Schools can access the document via a "complaints" quick link on the home page of the Essex Schools Infolink http://esi.essexcc.gov.uk

Please note that the document is intended as guidance to schools, not parents, and requires some editing customising to adapt it to local circumstances. This includes the model policies and procedures in the second part of the Toolkit, which can then be made available to parents and others.

Pam Langmead