Scotland takes ‘huge step’ towards Calum’s Law on child restraint

Six years ago, Scotland’s children’s commissioner published a report revealing thousands of restraint incidents affecting hundreds of children.

Parents and campaigners say that despite that report, children – especially those with special educational needs – continue to be inappropriately physically restrained in schools in Scotland.

Beth Morrison has been campaigning for more than a decade for legally enforceable guidelines on the use of physical restraint in schools.

She says she has been contacted by hundreds of distraught parents and says her own son Calum, aged 11, who has learning disabilities, autism and epilepsy, was restrained on the floor by four adults until he lost consciousness.

She says Calum, who is now 25, is still traumatised by what happened.

MSP Daniel Johnson wants physical restraint guidelines in schools to be legally enforceable. The law, if passed, would ensure compulsory training for all teachers on how to de-escalate difficult situations.

The members’ bill needs the support of 18 MSPs to go through to committee stage in Holyrood. Johnson said the consultation on the bill had 151 responses, 91% of which were supportive.

In the past, the Scottish government said some of these concerns would be tackled though their mooted Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill.

But that bill was missing from the recent Programme for Government.

Ministers have said on several occasions they do not think statutory ie legally enforceable guidelines are necessary. But there are clearly many parents who disagree.