In this bulletin, we talk about managing environmental restraints in places people share.

Environmental restraints are actions that stop people from:

• using certain things

• going into certain areas

• taking part in activities.

Providers sometimes use environmental restraints to keep people safe.

But they can also affect other people who:

• use the same spaces
• don’t need them.

Providers need plans to make sure environmental restraints affect other people as little as possible.

Providers need to create a plan for each person that the environmental restraint will affect.

The plan should explain:

• how the environmental restraint will affect that person

• what supports the provider will use to make sure it affects them as little as possible.

For example, the provider might need to lock a fridge to keep someone safe.

If other people need to use the fridge, the provider could:

• give them a key to unlock the fridge

• make sure there is a support worker to unlock the fridge for them.

Providers should make this plan with:

• the person that the plan is for
• other important people in the person’s life.

The provider needs to make sure the plan includes supports that the person has chosen.

Providers need to keep a copy of these plans where support workers can use them.

They should also keep checking that each plan works for the person it is for.

This includes checking with the person.