After an incident: welfare checks, recording, child voice and learning

After any restraint or restrictive incident, the child's welfare comes first. Check for injury, pain, breathing difficulty and acute distress, and confirm the child is physically and emotionally stable before moving into reflection. Staff welfare also matters, but should not overshadow the child's needs.

Records must be factual, complete and made promptly. In England, restraint records should be completed as soon as possible and within 24 hours. Records should show what led to the incident, which less-restrictive options were attempted, the restrictive actions used, how long they lasted, who was involved, any injuries and what follow-up occurred. Seek and record the child's account in a way they will recognise as fair.

Managers should review each record, check that the child's views and any injuries are documented, and ensure learning is captured rather than relying on memory. The quality standards guide expects the registered person to sign the record within five days, so frontline entries must contain enough detail for proper oversight.

What a good post-incident response includes

• Immediate welfare checks.
• Clear factual recording.
• The child's voice and experience.
• Debrief for staff and the child at the right time.
• Learning for plans, routines or environment.

If the child experienced the incident as frightening or painful, the record should not pretend otherwise just because staff believed the intervention was justified.