Appendix Five Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody: Common principles of safer restraint52 General a. Physical restraint is the lawful use of force using approved physical touching and holding techniques which results in the restriction of movement of one person by another. b. Staff working in custodial establishments or dealing with members of the public have a primary responsibility to safeguard all those with whom they have professional contact. c. Staff must work to establish and foster a culture of non-violence where possible. d. The use of any form of restraint must be the last resort and must be limited to those situations where de-escalation and other non-physical diversion techniques have failed to resolve the situation. Training h. Only techniques that have been approved and taught may be used to apply physical restraint. i. Only trained and authorised staff may apply restraint. j. Staff must understand the non-physical and the physical techniques that they will use. k. They must have been trained in the safe application of those techniques. l. Their skills in both de-escalation and all of the approved techniques must be maintained through regular training. e. Every episode of restraint must be necessary, justifiable and proportionate to the perceived threat. Management m. If three53 or more staff are actively involved in a restraint then one of those staff must be in control of the restraint (Controller) and it must be clear at all times, to all those involved in the restraint who the Controller is. f. Whenever physical restraint is used it can have significant psychological and emotional effects upon everyone involved, everyone who witnesses the events and also upon the wider establishment. n. At the start of an episode of restraint the staff member responsible for protecting the detainee’s head, neck and breathing will assume the role of Controller regardless of rank. g. Physical restraint can occasionally result in the death of the individual being restrained. o. The Controller will be confirming their role to colleagues as soon as possible after the 52 http://iapdeathsincustody.independent.gov.uk/work-of-the-iap/working-groups/use-of-restraint/ 53 Complications of restraint are exceedingly rare if only one or two officers are involved; complications appear to be increasingly common as more officers are actively involved. 58