Beyond “Last Resort” – Safeguarding Children by Minimising Restrictive Interventions in Schools

With updated statutory duties now in force, from mandatory reporting of significant incidents, to new legal requirements for recording and reporting seclusion schools must ensure compliance while upholding their safeguarding duty of care. 

The DfE guidance Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools (2026) reinforces that restrictive interventions sit firmly within a safeguarding framework, last resort, safety-focused, and rooted in pupil safety. 

This session explores how to operationalise the guidance on reasonable force and seclusion, strengthen incident reporting and review, and embed prevention so safety is protected without normalising restriction.