Why this matters for your registration
- •CQC expects providers to demonstrate a commitment to least restrictive practice and show that restraint would only ever be used as a last resort.
- •A good Restraint Policy helps show that your service understands the legal, ethical and safeguarding issues around restrictive interventions.
- •It also demonstrates how incidents would be monitored, reviewed and used to reduce future reliance on restraint.
What you should prepare
- •A policy statement setting out your commitment to human rights, dignity, safety, person-centred support and least restrictive practice.
- •Clear definitions of different forms of restraint and the difference between restraint and restriction.
- •The legal and ethical framework, including necessity, proportionality, best-interest decision-making and relevant consent or capacity issues.
- •Roles and responsibilities, assessment and decision-making arrangements, and how restraint would be implemented safely if ever required.
- •Post-incident arrangements such as debriefing, incident reporting, review, care-plan updates and learning from incidents.
- •Staff training, governance, audit, external reporting, equality and human-rights considerations, all aligned with your wider registration evidence.