Towards restraint-free mental health practice: Supporting the reduction and prevention of personal restraint in mental health inpatient settings

Personal restraint should only be used as an intervention of last resort as it is fraught with the potential of trauma, injury and severe emotional distress both for people using services and staff.

This practical and applicable resource provides information and guidance for services on ways to reduce and prevent personal restraint events.

It is in two parts.

• Part 1 is a restraint prevention framework, which summarises available prevention strategies, including the rationale for and timing of their use.
• Part 2 outlines principles and objectives that will help services to plan for reducing and preventing the use of personal restraint.