Old Roar House Children's Home - East Sussex County Council

17. Control And Discipline17.1 The Children Act l989 Guidance Volume 4 states:“The major determinant in day to day control of the home is thequality of relationships between the staff and the children.Relationships must be based on mutual respect and recognisedgood professional practice. Difficulties will arise whereinconsistent, unrealistic or insensitive methods of control areused.”17.2 The ethos of Old Roar House emphasises that we believe theregulation to be correct and that our methods of work areplanned accordingly. We stress the need for mutual respectand fairness, combined with clear consistent boundaries, whichhelp establish a safe and caring environment. However, therewill be times when disciplinary methods are necessary and thefollowing sanctions are approved:• Restitution: i.e. the use of a proportion of pocket money tomake restitution for damage, stolen money or goods, or topay fines imposed by a court.• Reparation: i.e. where appropriate, making good or repairany damage.• Curtailment of leisure extras• Additional house chores• Increased supervision17.3 On occasions, physical restraint may be necessary to ensure thesafety of all concerned and it is therefore, important that staff areaware of the following guidelines:-Physical restraint is only exercised as a last resort in thefollowing circumstances:-When a young person is:• Likely to cause themselves physical harm• Likely to cause another person physical harm• Likely to cause serious damage to the fabric of the buildingand/or furniture and fittings17.4 All staff have been trained in P.R.I.C.E techniques (ProtectingRights In a Care Environment) which are based on therecommendations of the Children Act 1989.17.5 In every case, no more than the minimal force necessary is usedwithin the shortest timescale possible to achieve the objective.