1) How many parents/carers have reported allegations/concerns about the use of restrictive interventions in schools to the LADO for each year from 2015 -2020? Where ‘Restraint is an action to limit a person’s movement liberty or freedom to act independently. Restraint can include physical, mechanical and chemical forms of control, coercion and forced isolation. These can also be called restrictive interventions’. (EHRC 2020)
2) How many schools, primary, secondary, specialist independent, academies ,grant-maintained schools, PRU’s, and alternative provision have referred cases to the LADO, where staff have used restrictive interventions? Please include figures from January 2015- October 2020.
In response to questions 1 and 2, we should clarify do not record incidents in the way outlined within the request and we therefore do not hold this information. The situation described would likely come under categories : Physical or Practice Issues and these only date from 2016. In order to access the information in the detail requested we would have to review 1289 cases, which, allowing 10 minutes per case, would take an estimated 214 hours, and additionally those records for 2015 which have no designation. We are therefore not obliged to provide the information pursuant to s.12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
However, by way of assistance, we can provide the information that we do hold, as set out in the table below:
| Practice Issues | 2016-2018 | 313 cases |
| Practice issues | 2019 -to date | 342 cases |
| Physical | 2016-2018 | 419 cases |
| Physical | 2019 -to date | 215 cases |
| TOTAL | 1289 |
3) Which behaviour management training providers are the LA’s preferred providers for school staff?
4) How many cases of restrictive intervention in schools did the LADO document in their annual reports for each year 2015- 2020?
5) How many cases/allegations of abuse arising from restrictive interventions in schools have been documented in annual safeguarding reports and under what heading e.g. physical abuse or other?
6) How many cases involving restrictive intervention in schools have been investigated by the LADO in the last five years and what were the outcomes of those investigations e.g. false, malicious substantiated or unsubstantiated.
7) Does the council have a separate policy for allegations made against school staff who use restrictive intervention? Please supply policy.
8) Please supply a copy of the council’s policies and procedures, when allegations are made against school staff who have use restrictive interventions.
9) Please supply a copy of the safeguarding audit questionnaire completed annually by schools.
10) Has the local authority held a review in the last five years specifically into the numbers of restrictive interventions undertaken by a school/ education provider?
11) Has the use of restrictive intervention in school provisions been discussed by the local authority’s safeguarding board in the last five years, please supply minutes of meeting(s).
12) Have there been any prosecutions arising from staff using restrictive interventions where allegations were deemed substantiated by the LADO?
In response to question 3-12, this information is available in a response to a previous request for information which can be accessed online at: