National Preventive Mechanism Third Annual Report 2011–12 Monitoring use of force and restraint When monitoring the use of force and restraint, members of the NPM expect to find that these are only used when necessary, proportionate, as a last resort and in accordance with the law. Members may apply slightly different monitoring or inspection criteria during their visits but there are some widely accepted standards relating to force and restraint that should be implemented. The relevance of these standards may vary depending on the type of restraint used. For example, it would not be expected that a qualified medical practitioner sees a police detainee following every application of handcuffs by a police officer. Nonetheless, the following standards form the basis of what NPM members generally expect to find when monitoring the use of force and restraint. • Every effort should be made to de-escalate the situation or manage the detainee using the least restrictive means possible. • Restraint techniques should be safe and accredited. • Institutions and services should have clear and accessible policies on the use of force or restraint. • Staff should be trained in appropriate restraint techniques and training should be updated regularly. • Detainees should be seen by a qualified medical practitioner following the use of force or restraint. Injuries should be recorded and treatment provided. • Detainees should be debriefed following incidents of force or restraint and should be able to make a complaint if they wish to. • All incidents of force or restraint should be recorded. Records should be scrutinised by senior managers to ensure force or restraint is used lawfully. 20 • Incidents should be monitored (for example, at an institutional level) to identify trends. Trends should be acted upon. • There should be special arrangements for the use of force or restraint against detainees who may be particularly vulnerable, including children, women (particularly pregnant women), those with disabilities and older detainees. Despite these standards representing good practice in the use of force and restraint, the members of the NPM often find they are not met. The findings of the NPM members described below illustrate the range of actions constituting force and restraint encountered during monitoring visits, and highlight examples of good and poor practice. We have presented their findings according to the type of custody visited. Although we have highlighted the work of only some NPM members during 2011–12, the use of force and the application of restraints have been, and will remain, a key interest to all members of the NPM. Monitoring force and restraint is essential to preventing the ill-treatment of detainees and safeguarding their rights and well-being. Children and young people in secure accommodation For several years, the physical restraint of children and young people in secure accommodation has been a high profile issue, particularly in England and Wales, following two restraint-related deaths of children in 2004. Gareth Myatt, aged 15, died while being restrained by staff at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre (STC). Adam Rickwood, aged 14, was found hanging in his cell at Hassockfield STC a few hours after he had been subject to restraint. An inquest held that an unlawful use of force had contributed to Adam’s decision to take his own life.