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Campaigners call for an end to the overuse of restraint and seclusion

  • Area of Work: Policy and Research
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 15th April 2025

This call comes after revelations of overuse of restraint and forced injections at adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit, Skye House.

Forced restraint can cause devastating physical and psychological trauma. Despite this, these practices are still too often used as a first resort—affecting not only children and young people, but adults as well. 

Campaigners want further action to end the overuse of restraint, seclusion and forced injections in mental health settings.

The recent shocking revelations and reports exposing the excessive overuse of restraint and forced injections at adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit, Skye House, have laid bare the urgent need for a unified legislative framework to regulate the use of restraint and seclusion across all state care and education settings.   

Echoing campaigners, Katy Clark MSP put forward a motion in Parliament condemning the reported actions. Alongside the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, and representatives of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, The Promise Scotland and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, she urged the Scottish Government to establish a unified statutory framework regulating the use of restraint and seclusion across all state care and education settings. Clark also stated that provisions for the mandatory reporting of the overuse of restraint should be included in any legislative framework.

Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, Maree Todd, said the following in response to concerns raised:

“It is all too clear that what was described is completely and wholly unacceptable. It should not have happened, and we will do all in our power to prevent it happening again…

All young people who need in-patient admission for their mental health must be able to access safe, high-quality care, which must always respect their human rights and support their recovery…

What I found so disturbing about the documentary was the culture that was depicted. By any standards, the behaviour of some staff during the time covered fell far below basic standards of decency and compassion or what we all expect of healthcare professionals”. 

Ultimately, campaigners want decisive steps to prevent the further normalisation of these harmful, dehumanising and degrading practices.

To support this call to action, you can write to both your constituency MSP, as well as your seven regional list MSPs, to demand their support in taking immediate action to help drive forward legislation to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society.

To bring greater legal protections for children, young people and adults in all settings, there are forthcoming legislative opportunities that can be engaged with and supported including the Promise Bill, the Education (Scotland) Bill, the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill and the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill.

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