In this bulletin, we talk about mechanical restraint.

Mechanical restraint is when someone uses equipment that stops a person moving.

It doesn’t include equipment that supports people.

It is used in response to behaviours of concern.

Behaviours of concern are things someone does that might put:

• themselves in danger
• other people in danger.

For example:

bullet an arm-splint that stops a person hitting themself

bullet clothing that stops a person from taking off a pad they wear in case they wee or poo

bullet a Houdini harness – a device that stops a person getting out of a car seat when travelling.end of list

Mechanical restraint is a type of restrictive practice.

Providers must think about how mechanical restraint affects a person before they use it.

Providers should:

• listen to what the person needs
• watch how they behave.

This will help providers understand how mechanical restraint affects the person.

A mechanical restraint does not include equipment that supports people.

For example, therapeutic devices.

A therapeutic device is a device that:

• helps someone with their health and wellbeing
• can make a person’s life better.

For example, a strap to support someone to sit and eat without choking.

Only a doctor or health professional can give someone a therapeutic device.

They must also create rules about the use of the therapeutic device.

A therapeutic device becomes a mechanical restraint when providers use it:

bullet in a different way to what the rules say

bullet to change how a person behaves.end of list

For example, keeping the strap on the person after they have stopped eating.

A therapeutic device also becomes a restrictive practice when the person doesn’t want to use it.