Physical Intervention and De-escalation: What’s Allowed

Foster homes should feel safe, predictable and nurturing. Sometimes, though, a child’s distress can boil over into behaviour that risks harm to themselves or others. This guide explains what the UK framework allows, when any physical intervention might be justified, what’s prohibited, and—most importantly—how to prevent crises with de-escalation and good planning.

Short version: physical intervention is a last resort, used only to prevent serious harm or serious damage, for the minimum time necessary, and it must be recorded and reviewed. Everything else should focus on relationships, regulation and proactive support.

The rules in plain English

There isn’t one single “restraint law” for foster care, but expectations are clear across government guidance and inspection frameworks:

• Use restrictive interventions only to prevent harm. National guidance for children in health, social care and specialist education settings emphasises reducing and avoiding restraint, and using it only when there’s an immediate risk that cannot be managed another way.
• Reasonable, proportionate, necessary. The education guidance (regularly updated—most recently in 2025) sets the benchmark on “reasonable force”: the least force for the shortest time to achieve safety. That principle is widely applied across children’s services.
• Fostering standards require safe behaviour management. Fostering services must have policies for safer caring, behaviour support and what to do after incidents, and Ofsted checks how agencies train, supervise and record these.

What counts as physical intervention?

Think of a scale:

1. Everyday, non-restrictive contact: taking a child’s hand to guide them away from a road; gently moving a toddler from danger. This is “good parenting” and not restraint.
2. Restrictive physical intervention (restraint): holding a child to stop them from hurting themselves or others (for example, blocking/redirecting during a violent outburst). This is exceptional and must meet the tests of necessity, proportionality and minimal duration, with clear recording and review.
3. Seclusion/locking in rooms and other restrictive practices: these are not permitted in foster homes and can amount to a deprivation of liberty. (Secure accommodation has separate regulations and does not apply to ordinary fostering.)

What is not allowed

Most fostering procedures list banned practices. In essence:

• No corporal punishment (smacking, rough handling, pain-inducing holds).
• No degrading or humiliating treatment.
• No prolonged isolation, no locking doors, no denial of basic needs (food, warmth, sleep, toileting).
• No blanket or punitive use of restrictive methods—each decision must be about immediate safety.

When restraint might be justified (and when it isn’t)

Potentially justified:

• A child is about to run into traffic;
• They’re striking another child/carer;
• They are self-harming in a way you cannot interrupt verbally;
• They are causing serious damage with risk of harm (e.g., smashing glass nearby).

Not justified:

• Enforcing compliance or obedience (“because I said so”);
• Punishment or retaliation;
• Routine behaviour control where other strategies could work;
• Situations where the risk is low and time/space would defuse things.

De-escalation first: what actually works

The strongest protection against restraint is a good plan tailored to the child.

1) Know the triggers. Build a positive behaviour support plan from the child’s history: what sparks anxiety, what soothes, what environments overwhelm them (noise, crowds, transitions). The 2019 national guidance is explicit about personalised planning to reduce crisis points.

2) Regulate before you reason. Co-regulation (staying calm, low voice, increased physical distance, offering choices) is far more effective than lectures mid-crisis. Use simple, concrete options: “We can sit by the door or take the dog out—what do you prefer?”

3) Space and time. Offer a safe space or sensory break where the child can step away without feeling trapped. Avoid cornering; respect personal space; remove the audience if possible.

4) Agree signals. Many children will use a pre-agreed non-verbal cue (“pause card”, thumbs-down) when they need a break; honour it consistently.

5) Practise scripts. Short, consistent phrases—“I can’t let you hurt yourself. I’m here to help.”—reduce escalation.

6) Call early for help. In fostering you’re not alone: a supervising social worker (SSW), out-of-hours line and, if needed, emergency services. Ofsted expects agencies to make support accessible.

If you had to use restraint: what to do next

1) Let go as soon as it’s safe. The hold ends the moment the immediate risk drops. Keep your voice calm and explain what you’re doing and why.

2) Check for injury and comfort. Offer water, a quiet space, and reassurance. If there’s any injury (child or carer), seek medical advice.

3) Record and notify—within 24 hours. Most fostering procedures require the carer to inform the fostering service promptly and complete an incident log; the child’s social worker must also be told. Many services specify same-day or within 24 hours reporting.

4) Review what happened. With your SSW, analyse antecedents (what led up to it), what helped, and how the plan will change (environment, routines, school liaison, CAMHS input). Expect agencies to audit these events—inspectors look for learning and reduction over time.

Training, policy and safer caring

• Get trained—and refreshed. Your agency should provide behaviour support training that covers de-escalation, risk assessment, and—where approved—safe last-resort holds consistent with its policy. The Fostering Network’s safer caring materials also emphasise agreeing a written safer caring plan in the household.
• Know your agency’s policy. Each fostering service sets out when restrictive practices could be used, which techniques are permitted, what documentation is needed, and how carers will be supported after incidents. Ask for a copy and keep it handy.
• Link with school. Schools must follow their own statutory guidance on reasonable force (currently being updated in 2025, including a new requirement to record and report significant incidents). Share plans so home and school use consistent de-escalation approaches.

Grey areas carers ask abou

“Can I block a doorway?” You can position yourself to reduce risk, but avoid barricading a child or creating a situation that feels like seclusion. Keep an exit route and continue offering choices.

“What about taking away phones or games?” Sanctions must be reasonable, time-limited and proportionate—never degrading. With devices, focus on agreed boundaries in the safer caring plan and restore privileges promptly when calm is regained.

“Can I hold a child to stop them destroying property?” Only if the serious damage presents a real risk of harm (e.g., shattered glass), and only until the danger passes. Damage alone rarely justifies restraint.

How inspectors look at this

Ofsted’s inspection framework for fostering looks for:

• Clear policies and staff training on behaviour and restrictive practices;
• Accurate recording and prompt notifications;
• Evidence that restraint use is rare, decreasing, and leads to learning and better planning;
• Child-centred reviews that consider the child’s experience and voice.

Key takeaways

• Prevent first. Personalised plans, co-regulation and agreed signals beat any hold, any day.
• Last resort only. Use the least restriction for the shortest time to stop imminent harm.
• No seclusion, no corporal punishment, no degrading treatment. Foster homes must stay therapeutic and rights-respecting.
• Record, inform, review. Tell your agency promptly (usually within 24 hours), log the incident, and adjust the plan.
• Stay aligned. Make sure home, school and professionals are working the same plan, and keep training up to date.

If you’d like, I can turn this into a printable household safer-caring checklist and a one-page post-incident debrief form you can use after any challenging episode.