Aspies For Freedom

Hello I've just joined the forum and would like to introduce myself.

I'm mum to a 6yr old AS son who was diagnosed when he was 2 1/2 yrs old, we live in the UK.

My son attends a mainstream primary school and has full time 1:1 support (provided by 2 people, 1/2 a day each) and has close contact with the ASD Unit staff who visit the school around once a month to offer support & advice.  I also meet with the ASD Unit staff regularly so I've got a good picture of how things are going, and get advice on what I can do to help.

I am currently having a major problem, if anyone has any advice in how I should deal with it I would be very grateful  :smile:

In November last year I was asked to attend a meeting at the school which I was told was a routine discussion.  When I got there it was in fact a training session on restraint holds and positions being given to the teaching and support staff at the school.  I put a stop to the session immediately as physical restraint is something which I fundamentally think is wrong unless someone's life is in immediate danger.

Since this meeting, which became very heated as I was very angry and upset, I have had several meetings with the school which have all ended up on the subject of my permission for them to use restraint methods on my son - which I have refused to give.

I cannot get a straight answer from the school as to 'why' they feel the need to restrain my son - the most direct answer I've had is 'for times when he doesn't do what we ask him to' so in my opinion they are wanting to use restraint for completlely the wrong reason.

I have really tried hard to try and get accross to the Head and teaching staff that they need to look at what is triggering my son into behaving in an inappropriate manner, or why he is not complying with their requests but I don't seem to be able to make them understand his difficulties.

I have photocopied pages of stuff from books which explains things simply, given them websites etc... to look at and even asked them to do a behavioural monitoring exercise which I found in one book to find what the triggers were in various situations, and how to understand a 'rumbling stage' which preceeds a meltdown situation.  All to no avail.

The ASD Unit people whom I have known for 4yrs now, and they have known my son for that length of time, agree with me that the school are not looking at the whole situation, but wanting a 'cure' which they belive will come in the form of restraint, but even they cannot get this over to the school's Head.

I have a meeting scheduled for later this month and I have been told by the Head already that unless I sign consent forms for the restraint that 'it will cause major problems' and that he will then be the one to do the restraining anyway without my permission and he will just call me every time he has done it to come and collect my son.

Does anyone know where I stand legally on this matter please !!  Help !

Sorry for such a long first post  :smile:

Okay, the first letter, addressed to the local council - you should be able to look up on their website who you should address requests under Foia to - if I were you, I'd be writing to them along these lines:

Dear Sir/Madam

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION RELATING TO THE USE OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AT [SCHOOL NAME]

Please provide me with the following information in respect of [school name]:

*  The school's written policy in relation to physical restraints and their use.

*  Any memoranda or guidance from the LEA and/or the Department of Skills and Education to the school in relation to physical restraints and their use.

*  Information regarding the general circumstances or context in which the use of physical restraint is recommended and/or permissible.

*  Information regarding specific circumstances or behaviours arising at the school where physical restraints have been used in the past against other children (NB:  I am not asking for personal information relating to other children, for example their names, I am simply asking for information relating to incidents at the school where physical restraints have previously been used against other children).

*  Information regarding the specific circumstances or behaviours arising in which the school would want to, or would believe it appropriate to exercise physical restraint against my son [name].

*  Specific information regarding the policy in relation to the use of physical restraints where the pupil concerned has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

*  If there isn't currently such a policy specifically relating to the use of physical restraints against pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, then information such as minutes where this specific matter has been discussed in meetings, referred to in memoranda or correspondence, or any other explanation as to why no such policy specifically relating to pupils with ASDs is in existence.

*  What policy is in place regarding the actions of staff members in relation to pupils with ASDs, including recommended methods of dealing with incidents involving pupils with ASDs.

*  What specific training and education is given to staff in dealing with pupils with ASDs?  I would like copies of any training materials, including handbooks or course hand-outs in relation to such training.

*  Information regarding the method of physical restraint used at [school name]; is this method used by all staff?  Or are there are a variety of methods of physical restraint used?  If so, please describe and provide information of all these different methods of physical restraints.

*  Information as to when the policy regarding at [school name] was last reviewed to ensure the most appropriate and modern method of physical restraint is permitted, and information as to how often the policy is reviewed.

*  Information as to which members of staff at [school name] are authorised AND trained to use physical restraint.

*  Information as to what training is given to staff who are authorised to use physical restraint:  I would like a copy of the training manual/handbook/course notes relating to such training courses.  I would also like to know at what stage in a staff member's employment at [school name] they receive training, i.e. how soon after the commencement of employment, how often refresher training is given.

*  Information as to who provides the training to staff at [school name] in the use of physical restraint, whether it is another staff member at the school, or a trainer from the LEA, or whether training is provided by an external, if so who is the trainer if a freelance consultant or what is the name of the company if provided by an organisation.

*  Information as to the qualifications of the trainers to provide such training in the use of the physical restraints.

*  Information as to how and when incidences of the use of physical restraints are reviewed, by whom, and what is the policy or what procedures are followed if the use of physical restraint is reviewed and found to have been unwarranted or unnecessary?

*  If some and not all staff members (by which I mean teaching, ancillary and support staff) are trained and authorised to use physical restraint, what is the policy in relation to dealing with an incident/dealing with a child by a non-authorised and non-trained staff member when and where an authorised/trained staff member is not immediately on hand/available.

*  Information as to any incidents where physical restraint has been used by staff members who are not authorised and trained to use physical restraint, including, but not limited to: Were any injuries sustained by either staff members or pupils?  Was there an inquiry?  What was the outcome of any inquiry?

*  Information as to any policy or guidance or terms and conditions of employment or extracts of employee handbooks or similar given to employees of the school in relation to the use of unauthorised physical restraint by untrained staff members, and the disciplinary procedures relating to the same.

*  Information as to any policy or guidance or terms and conditions of employment or extracts of employee handbooks or similar given to employees of the school in relation to potentially criminal physical assaults carried out by staff members against pupils where physical restraint is used without parental consent and in direct contravention of the parents express wishes.

I await hearing from you within 20 days.

Yours faithfully,

Tbh, sending a letter like that, if it goes in front of anyone in the local authority legal department, which it's likely to, will sufficiently sh!t them up to the point where they will be conducting an internal review of the physical restraints at that school.

English Lulu - thank you so much for this information, I have printed it off and will have a 'proper' read tonight  :grin:

I thought that the Head could not restrain my son without my permission and that it would be classed as assault..... at least that gives me ammunition for our next meeting.

This is utterly appalling and I hope something has been done. I don't know if sending your child to a different school is an option but if someone doesn't stand up to this head teacher, they will try it out on somebody else.

There have been some problems in Australia with Autistic and ADHD kids being restrained in cages and other enclosures and these were shown on TV shows such as "A Current Affair".

Here, we could contact our local member of Parliament for assistancel. Most public servants are very afraid of "ministerials". I don't know if this kind of thing can be done in the UK though.