A Director’s view: Education & Inspection Bill 2006.

Use of force and the Mainstream / SEN Debate.

Questions:

  • Do you think training in physical restraint is an issue for mainstream schools?
  • DfES ministers think the current arrangements are working well, what’s your view?
  • Are there any statistics on the number of mainstream schools that approach Team-Teach for training?
  • Why do they approach you – to anticipate and prevent difficulties or to seek solutions after there’s been a serious incident?
  • Do you know of any examples of teachers in mainstream schools being harmed or pupils being excluded due to an incident where an inappropriate intervention was made by teaching staff?

Responses

I am happy to support the principle of educators and carers in all children’ services receiving knowledge, skill and understanding that reduces risk and enhances safeguards for all concerned.

The NFER produced a report funded by the DFES on the impact of DFES Circular 10/98 and the reports recommendations ( See report :NFER Key recommendations) are in line with the argument that mainstream staff need to be better equipped to support and manage the challenging behaviours they are increasingly facing today. The report makes it clear that special schools have the highest frequency of incidents but the least likelihood of a complaint arising. Equally it goes on to note that mainstream schools have the fewest incidents but the highest number of complaints.

The largest number of allegations against staff arise from Inappropriate physical handling in a mainstream secondary setting, most likely to be a male teacher in a classroom context responding to the disruptive behaviour of a 13 -15 year old boy. These DFES figures are available, see “Audit” attachment.

Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards are required to agree interagency procedures for investigating allegations of abuse made against people who work with children and young people. This new guidance (P125 Working Together Chapter 6 Par 6.20 on and Appendix 5) requires all but the most serious of cases to be reported to a Local Authority Designated Officer-(LADO) Allegations who will ensure the investigation is conducted fairly and expeditiously.

A significant proportion of such allegations are related to physical interventions. As the new guidance applies to all providers of services to children an increase in the number of reported allegations is anticipated.

Appropriate and accredited training will have an impact on reducing such potential large numbers by providing a common framework by which adults actions can be more easily judged. Training with help inform the following Key Issues

1. About a common understanding around thresholds

- what practice would indicate a professional is unsuitable to work with children?

- What factors will the LADO need to consider when trying to decide whether an allegation relating to a physical intervention indicates 'significant harm' and needs CSC/police S47 investigation.

- Ensuring the consistent application of the guidance across the range of children's service providers.

2. Agreeing guidance around safe practice, minimum competencies for staff and personal and professional development

BILD in a recently funded project by DFES updated their Code of Practice on the use of Physical Interventions to include a dedicated appendix on “Guidance for mainstream schools that commission training.” I quote two points from the code below.

Points A5: It is hoped that access to BILD accredited training will have the following benefits:

  • Provide a safe environment for effective teaching to take place because trained staff feel empowered to use de-escalation strategies
  • Reduce inappropriate handling and place emphasis on creating a positive learning environment
  • Reduce pupil exclusions

Point A6 It is acknowledged that releasing staff for training may present difficulties because of the large number involved and the potential cost. These difficulties may be overcome through releasing targeted staff who teach identified pupils with challenging behaviour. Other staff, senior managers and governors should also undergo some awareness training to maintain the holistic approach to behaviour management.

Our experience has been that mainstream junior schools embrace holistic training such as Team Teach. There are a number of authorities both rural

( Norfolk ) and Urban such as Slough and Birmingham who are now well on their way to training all their junior schools. See research article research aimed at mainstream education carried out by PortsmouthUniversity.

The resistance to such training usually is to be found in mainstream secondary and is heavily influenced by the leadership and management’s view of how such training is relevant, required or desired in their subject focused environments. See and enter key word restraint for access to tv coverage of the debate.Team Teach as an organisation is responsible for supporting at least 50% of the authorities in the U.K and recently won a National Training Award funded by the DFES as part of the UK Skills Council. See “Award” attachment

A way forward to improve the safeguarding for all agenda would be for key aspects of Physical intervention guidance to become part of the Inspection and Regulation framework. This should include not just requiring and checking that there is a policy in place and viewing restraint records ( recording and reporting) over the last 12 months, but inspecting the authorised list of persons permitted to use Physical interventions as authorised by the Headteacher and expecting to see accredited training in place that informs the policy in this area.