Restrictive Interventions Policy
1. Statement
2. Aims
3. Related policies, legislation and guidance
4. Definitions
5. ‘Reasonable use of force’
6. Appropriate physical contact with students
7. Parental requests for no contact
8. Seclusion
Appendix 1: Searching, Screening and Confiscation
1. Statement
This policy applies to all staff members at Ashbourne College who work with students.
Ashbourne recognises that the use of restrictive interventions, including reasonable force and seclusion, can have a significant impact on the students, staff members and parents involved. However, there are circumstances when the lawful use of restrictive interventions is necessary to keep students and the wider college community safe.
2. Aims
The prevention of restrictive interventions is always preferable to their use. The aim of this policy is to support this approach and establish the careful management of restrictive interventions if they arise:
3. Related policies, legislation and guidance
3.1 Related policies
3.2 Legislation and guidance
This policy has been developed in accordance with relevant government legislation and guidance including Schools Regulations 2025, Independent Schools Standards and Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Full list of legislation and guidance
4. Definitions, as set out in Government guidance
Restrictive Intervention: a means to prevent, restrict or subdue movement of the body, or part of the body, of a student. This includes both physical and non-physical actions aimed to restrain students.
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, applied only for as long as is necessary.
Restraint: a non-disciplinary intervention which immobilises a student or limits their movement. This may or may not include direct physical contact (e.g., holding a student’s arms to their sides).
Seclusion: a non-disciplinary intervention involving keeping a student confined to a place away from others, and preventing them from leaving either by physical obstruction, blocking, or making them believe they will be punished if they try to leave.
5. ‘Reasonable use of force’
5.1 Who can use ‘reasonable force’?
All members of staff have a legal power to use reasonable force in certain circumstances; to prevent or stop a student from:
Reasonable force must not be used:
5.1.1 Staff training requirements
Staff who are likely to need to use reasonable force and/or other restrictive interventions must receive appropriate training in:
Ashbourne will provide specific training and annual refreshers where appropriate. The senior leadership team will assess the training needs of all staff based on their individual roles and context.
5.2 Use of reasonable force to search students
The Principal and authorised staff have a statutory power to search a student or their possessions where they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the student may have a prohibited item. Please refer to the Appendix: Searching, Screening and Confiscation below for detailed procedures governing searches of students and their possessions.
5.3 Unacceptable uses of force
The following uses of force are illegal and strictly prohibited:
If a student is unintentionally held on the ground, staff must release their holds or reposition into a safer alternative or standing position as quickly as possible. Where appropriate, the student should receive a medical assessment as soon as possible.
6. Appropriate physical contact with students
Ashbourne recognises that appropriate physical contact with students may be necessary and supportive.
6.1 What is appropriate physical contact?
There are circumstances when it is appropriate for staff to have some physical contact with students which does not give rise to any question over the use of reasonable force. These include:
6.2 Assessing appropriateness
When deciding whether physical contact is appropriate, staff should use their professional judgment, maintain respect for the student’s dignity at all times and have regard to:
7. Parental requests for no contact
Ashbourne will not accept any blanket ‘no contact’ requests from parents or staff members as these may prevent staff from intervening appropriately to protect students and others. However, where relevant, individual concerns will be discussed and documented with the student, parents and staff involved, and reasonable accommodations will be made where possible.
8. Seclusion
Seclusion is a non-disciplinary intervention involving keeping a student confined to a place away from others and preventing them from leaving (either by physical obstruction, blocking or under the condition they will be punished if they try to leave).
Seclusion should only be used as a safety measure to protect others from harm when a student is experiencing high levels of emotional or behavioural dysregulation and is not acting with intent to cause harm.
8.1 Seclusion should not be:
8.2 Requirements for seclusion
If seclusion is used, the following requirements should be met:
8.3. Procedures following an incident of reasonable use of force or seclusion
8.3.1 Immediate action
8.3.2 Recording and reporting requirements
All incidents of reasonable use of force or seclusion must be properly recorded and reported.
8.3.2.1 Records must include:
8.3.2.2 Reporting requirements:
Parents must be provided a written report on the same day, unless doing so would cause serious harm. This applies to:
Appendix: Searching, Screening and Confiscation
1. Prohibited items
The Principal and authorised staff have a statutory power to search a student or their possessions where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the student may have a prohibited item listed below or any other item that the College identifies as an item which may be searched for.
The list of prohibited items include:
Under common law, staff have the power to search a student for any item if the student agrees. The member of staff should ensure the student understands the reason for the search and how it will be conducted so that their agreement is informed.
When exercising powers to search the College must consider the age and needs of the students being searched. This includes the individual needs or learning difficulties of students with SENDs.
2. Procedures for search
2.1 Authorisation to search
Only the Principal, or a member of staff authorised by the Principal, can carry out a search. The Principal can authorise individual members of staff to search for specific items, or all items set out in this policy.
Staff authorised to carry out searches must always seek the co-operation of the student before conducting a search. An appropriate location for the search should be found, where possible away from other students. Another member of staff should be present as a witness to the search.
The DSL should be informed of any searching incidents where the member of staff had reasonable grounds to suspect a student was in possession of a prohibited item. The staff member should inform the DSL without delay if they believe that a search has revealed a safeguarding risk.
If the student is not willing to co-operate with the search, the member of staff should consider why this is.
Reasons might include, that they:
If a student continues to refuse to co-operate, the member of staff may sanction the student in line with this policy or be supervised whilst they seek advice from the Principal, DSL or Director of Studies.
2.2 Searching without consent An authorised member of staff can use such force as is reasonable to search for any prohibited items identified above, but not to search for items which are identified only in the College rules.
The decision to use reasonable force should be made on a case-by-case basis. The member of staff should consider whether conducting the search will prevent the student harming themselves or others, damaging property or from causing disorder.
The Principal should ensure that a sufficient number of staff are appropriately trained in how to lawfully and safely search a student who is not co-operating, so that these trained staff can support and advise other members of staff if this situation arises.
2.3 Conducting a search
The search must only take place on the College premises or where the member of staff has lawful control or charge of the student, for example on a school trip.
The law states that the member of staff conducting the search must be of the same sex as the student being searched. There must be another member of staff present as a witness to the search.
There is a limited exception to this rule. This is that a member of staff can search a student of the opposite sex and/or without a witness present only:
A member of staff may search a student’s outer clothing, pockets, possessions, desks or lockers. The person conducting the search must not require the student to remove any clothing other than outer
clothing. Staff do not have the power to conduct a strip search. Searches of possessions, for example in bags, can only be made in the presence of the student.
2.4 Police searches
Before calling the police into the College, staff should assess and balance the risk of a potential strip search, i.e. a search involving removal of more than outer clothing, on the student’s mental and physical wellbeing and the risk of not recovering the suspected item. All other alternatives should be explored. Once the police are on College premises, the decision on whether to conduct a strip search lies solely with them, and the role of the College is to advocate for the safety and wellbeing of the student(s) involved.
2.4.1 Appropriate adult
There must always be at least two people present, other than the student, whenever a strip search involves exposure of intimate body parts except in cases of urgency where there is risk of serious harm to the student or others. One of the people present must be an appropriate adult.
An Ashbourne member of staff cannot act as an appropriate adult if the College has called the police.
An appropriate adult may be a parent, legal guardian or another person agreed by the student. This adult must not be a police officer or otherwise associated with the police. Ashbourne staff members can only be nominated as an appropriate adult if the College has not initiated contact with the police resulting in the search.
Police officers carrying out the search must be the same sex as the student being searched. The appropriate adult must also be the same sex as the student, unless requested by the student. The search must not be carried out in a location where the student could be seen by anyone else.
2.5 Informing parents
Parents and/or legal guardians should always be informed of any search for a prohibited item and the outcome of the search as soon as is practicable. They should also be informed of any items confiscated and the resulting action the College has taken, including any sanctions applied.
2.6 Recording searches
Any search by a member of staff for a prohibited item and all searches conducted by police officers will be recorded in the College’s safeguarding database, including whether or not an item is found.
2.7 Confiscation
An authorised staff member carrying out a search can confiscate any item that they have reasonable grounds for suspecting:
2.7.1 Confiscating prohibited or illegal items
2.7.1.1 Controlled drugs
Controlled drugs must be delivered to the police as soon as possible unless there is a good reason not to do so. When staff are unsure as to the legal status of a substance or is in doubt about the safe disposal of controlled drugs, they should deliver them to the police.
2.7.1.2 Other substances
Other substances which are not believed to be controlled should also be delivered to the police, or disposed of, if the member of staff believes they could be harmful.
Confiscated alcohol, tobacco, cigarette papers or fireworks may be retained or disposed of as appropriate but should not be returned to the student.
2.7.1.3 Pornographic images
Pornographic images may be disposed of unless there are reasonable grounds to suspect that its possession constitutes a specified offence (i.e. it is extreme or an indecent image of a child) in which case it must be delivered to the police as soon as reasonably practicable. Members of staff should never intentionally view any indecent image of a child (also sometimes known as nude or semi-nude images). Staff must never copy, print, share, store or save such images.
2.7.1.4 Stolen items
Stolen items must be delivered to the police as soon as reasonably practicable. However, if there is good reason to do so, the member of staff may also return the item to the owner, or retain or dispose of it if returning them to their owner is not practicable. Staff should take into account all relevant circumstances and use their professional judgement to determine whether they can safely dispose of the seized article. In taking into account the relevant circumstances, the member of staff should consider the following:
2.7.1.5 Offensive weapons
Any weapons or items which are evidence of a suspected offence must be passed to the police as soon as possible.
Items that have been (or are likely to be) used to commit an offence or to cause personal injury or damage to property should be delivered to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, returned to the owner, retained or disposed of. The staff member should take into account all relevant circumstances and use their professional judgement to determine whether the item should be delivered to the police, retained, returned to the owner or disposed of. They should consider:
2.7.1.6 Electronic devices
Electronic devices, including mobile phones, can contain files or data which relate to an offence, or which may cause harm to another person. This includes, but is not limited to, indecent images of children, pornography, abusive messages, images or videos, or evidence relating to suspected criminal behaviour.
As with all prohibited items, staff should first consider the appropriate safeguarding response if they find images, data or files on an electronic device that they reasonably suspect are likely to put a person at risk.
When an incident might involve an indecent image of a child and/or video, the member of staff should confiscate the device, avoid looking at the device and refer the incident to the DSL or deputy DSL.
If a member of staff finds any image, data or file that they suspect might constitute a specified offence, then they must be delivered to the police as soon as is reasonably practicable. They should always seek advice from the DSL or deputy.
2.8 Use of reasonable force
The decision to use reasonable force should be made on a case-by-case basis. Any use of force must be reasonable, proportionate and lawful and should only be applied when immediately necessary to prevent a student from doing or continuing to do any of the following: