The Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) supports the calls by Social Inclusion Ireland, AsIAm and others for a child protection-led review of the reporting mechanism on the use of restraint in Irish schools. The new guidelines are due to come into force this September. Statistics gathered by Inclusion Ireland and AsIAm show that a significant percentage of children with disabilities have experienced seclusion or restraint in schools. The Department of Education published relevant guidelines in December 2024 and these remove seclusion. This is a welcome development, however, the guidelines fall short in terms of ensuring adequate child protection and safeguarding and oversight of the operation of the new guidelines. In addition, related issues of teacher training, parental consent, school policies, reporting mechanisms and appropriate monitoring of the system have not been adequately addressed. IASW joins with all those calling on the Minister for Education to establish an urgent review of the guidelines on use of seclusion and restraint, to ensure that they are fit for purpose and provide truly child-centred safeguards.
More information on this campaign available here: https://inclusionireland.ie/news-events/inclusion-ireland-and-asiam-call-for-urgent-review-of-reporting-mechanism-for-the-use-of-restraint-in-schools/