Restraint in school – what the law says
“You hope you will never have to use restraint, but if your duty of care leaves you with little choice: know your school procedure and record everything” An excellent article about the use of force for restraint in schools by solicitor Jade Kent. http://schoolsweek.co.uk/restraint-in-school-what-the-law-says/ Author on the use of force with children Mark Dawes adds […]
Positive Handling By The Numbers #6: Duty of Care
Positive Handling Duty of Care Positive Handling Duty of Care is a critically important concept for staff to understand if they are called upon to intervene to create safety in a dangerous situation. Sometimes we see stories of teaching staff being injured by children in schools and receiving 6-figure payouts when they seek compensation. One […]
Positive Handling by the Numbers #4 – Be Cautious around 4-year Olds!
Positive Handling Early Years Concerns Positive Handling Early Years can pose specific risks that you should be aware of. In our last post, we discussed how a 4-year old put two teachers in hospital in a single incident and how it is possible they can have the capability and capacity to do so. Let’s not […]
Positive Handling by the Numbers #3: Section 3 Risk Assessments
Positive Handling Risk Assessments Positive Handling Risk Assessment is at the heart of an effective response to the issues of school-based aggression and violence. Once the potential risks have been recognised within an organisation, the next stage is to identify the specific risks associated with each role and then provide measures that will eliminate or minimise […]
Positive Handling by the Numbers #2: The Number is Always Two!
Positive Handling Teamwork How many people need to be in the room when a child in a school threatens injury to themselves or others, or is causing a serious disruption? This is a question I like to explore with my groups in our Positive Handling training courses. The answer is always that we need […]
Positive Handling by the Numbers #1 Working Solo
One Person Positive Handling One Person Positive Handling is inherently dangerous and can not be recommended. Often a teaching assistant in a school will be working on a one-to-one basis with a child who has particular needs associated with emotional or behavioural difficulties. Sometimes, such a child will present with potentially harmful behaviours such as […]