National Minimum Standards for Residential Special Schools

1.	Statement of the schools purpose
2.	Children's rights
3.	Child protection
4.	Care and control
5.	Quality of care
6.	Planning for care
7.	Premises
8.	Staff
9.	Management

4. Care and control.

Staff/children relations. Staff are able to set and maintain safe, consistent and understandable boundaries in relation to acceptable behaviour.

Discipline and restraint. Staff should respond positively to acceptable behaviour. Where a child's behaviour is not acceptable, staff should respond using measures set by the head of care and known by the child. Staff should not use excessive sanctions. Staff must not:

• Use corporal punishment
• Hit a child
• Deprive them of food or drink
• Force them to eat or drink
• Stop them from contacting, either by phone or letter family, independent person or help line
• Make them wear distinctive clothing
• Use or withhold medical or dental treatment
• Deprive a child of sleep
• Impose excessive fines
• Lock a child in a room or part of a building
• Carry out an intimate physical search
• Withhold any aids or equipment need by the child

All sanctions and restraints must be recorded.

Physical restraint must only be used to prevent injury or serious damage to property, and NOT as a punishment or because a child has failed to respond to an instruction. Staff should receive training on behaviour management