The children’s commissioner in Scotland has told MSPs that a bill on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools will be “absolutely vital” in giving greater protection to pupils.
Labour MSP Daniel Johnson’s bill, if passed, would require schools to inform parents if their child has had to be restrained or put into seclusion.
The would also require annual reporting on the use of such practices.
It has been backed by both the charity Enable and the office of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland.
‘Significant milestone’
The commissioner, Nicola Killean, told the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee that it was “absolutely vital that this bill is taken forward”. The legislation was “an important opportunity to be able to put greater protections in place for children and young people across Scotland”.
Ms Killean said: “I fully support the bill and am really grateful to Daniel Johnson for bringing the bill, and the parents and carers and organisations who have campaigned for many, many years to make this significant milestone.”
Dr Simon Webster, head of research and policy at Enable, told the committee session yesterday that the use of restraint and seclusion would “cause harm” to children.
He said: “Even when done with good intent, with training, you have to assume restraint and seclusion can cause lasting damage to children and young people, including many children with disabilities.
“That is why we’re so pleased Daniel Johnson has brought forward this bill.”
Restraint is being used as a “first approach in many instances” when dealing with disruptive pupils, a campaigner told the committee. Kate Sanger said her daughter was “terrified to go to school” after being restrained and isolated on the first day of secondary.
Ms Sanger said her daughter had been born with a rare syndrome that resulted in a severe learning disability and complex communication disorder.
She told MSPs: “In her primary and nursery school she never experienced restraint or seclusion, and never knew what it was to be restrained or locked away in a place. However, on the first day of her secondary school, she was restrained and isolated on the very first day at school.
“This really affected her because several months into her school years she would scream every time she has seen the uniform. She didn’t have much vocalisation and verbal skills then, so that was her way of telling me she was terrified to go to school.”
Injuries to pupils
Ms Sanger has been campaigning on the issue for more than a decade, along with fellow parent Beth Morrison, who set up the group Shame (Scotland’s Hidden Abuse Must End). Ms Sanger said it had heard from more than 600 parents.
Ms Sanger said pupils could suffer “severe bruising, broken teeth, burst lips” as a result of being restrained, as well as injuries such as a dislocated elbow or a bleeding and broken nose, and that there were “too many injuries to mention”.
She added that parents are often not told their child has been restrained; “the only reason why they knew their children were being restrained was they were coming home with bruises and cuts”.
She told MSPs: “In one month, since the schools went back in August, we have had 81 families…contact us, and show us the pictures and the horror stories, yet again, of restraint.”
Earlier this week Vlog reported that the children’s commissioner in England was calling for a shake-up of safeguarding referrals, amid concerns that vulnerable children are more likely to experience abuse in school.
Dame Rachel de Souza warned that she had become aware of cases - in schools and children’s homes - that highlighted a lack of protection for vulnerable children around the misuse of restraint and seclusion.
You can now get the UK’s most-trusted source of education news in a mobile app. Get Vlog magazine on and on
