✨ Physical Restraint Guidelines
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 89 — 1 SEPTEMBER 2017
The Ministry will also use this information to update the rules and guidelines to reflect evolving practice or address areas of concern.
What is physical restraint?
The Act defines physical restraint as using physical force to prevent, restrict, or subdue the movement of a student’s body or part of the student’s body. Physical restraint is a serious intervention. The legislation limits the use of physical restraint on students to teachers or authorised staff members.
The following situations involving physical contact happen in schools every day. They are not examples of physical restraint and do not have to be reported to the Ministry:
- Temporary physical contact, such as a hand on the arm, back or shoulders to remove a student from a situation to a safer place.
- Holding a student with a disability to move them to another location, or help them to get in a vehicle or use the stairs.
- The practice of harness restraint, when keeping a student and others safe in a moving vehicle, or when recommended by a physiotherapist or occupational therapist for safety or body positioning.
- Younger students, especially in their first year of school, sometimes need additional help. For example, you may “shepherd” a group of younger children from one place to another.
- Staff may hold the hand of a young student who is happy to have their hand held for a short time.
- Staff may pick a young student up to comfort them briefly.
Information for the Ministry of Education and the employer form
| Information for Ministry of Education and the Employer: | Date of incident | Date of report |
| completed by | | |
Name of School
Student’s National Student Number (no name)
| Date of birth | Year level | Gender M ☐ F ☐ |
| Ethnicity | | |
First time the student has been physically restrained?
Yes ☐ No ☐
The student was physically restrained more than once during the day?
Yes ☐ No ☐
If yes, how many times?
The student has an Individual Behaviour Plan?
Yes ☐ No ☐
Physical restraint was a part of the plan?
Yes ☐ No ☐
Were parents notified?
Yes ☐ No ☐
Was anyone injured? If yes describe
Yes ☐ No ☐
Was the staff member who applied the restraint a teacher or authorised staff member?
Yes ☐ No ☐
If no, provide details
Role of staff member who applied the restraint?
☐ Teacher ☐ Other
If other, describe role
Did the staff member who applied the restraint receive any training prior to the incident?
Yes ☐ No ☐
If yes, what training?
14
Next Page →
NZ Gazette 2017, No 89
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🎓
Information for the Ministry of Education on Physical Restraint Incidents
(continued from previous page)
🎓 Education, Culture & SciencePhysical Restraint, Incident Reporting, Ministry of Education, Employer Notification, Support Services, Data Collection