iStockA European watchdog has called for the Scottish Government to ban face-down restraint in children’s secure units.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which assesses how persons deprived of their liberty are treated, visited a number of prisons and units across the country last June.
They visited two of Scotland’s four secure units, Rossie and St Mary’s Kenmure, during the audit. In a report, published at the beginning of the month, the delegation described instances where children were held face-down, pinned prone on the floor.
It was determined that practice was “dangerous” and “concerning due to adults exerting pressure on “vulnerable children”
At St Mary’s, there had been a decrease in the use of restraints; however, it remained frequent with 419 incidents recorded during an 11-month period in 2024.
Records also found that restraint was disproportionately used on the few girls held at the secure unit. Between April and July 2024, there were 152 incidents of restraint used on the 16 children held there at that time.
The two girls at the unit were involved in 127 of those incidents. During that period, eight children reported injuries, as well as 12 staff members
It was also found that children were secluded 150 times in 2024.
Rossie House was found to have used restraint 460 times for an occupancy of 21 children, over a four-month period at the beginning of 2025.
On occasion, police were called and used handcuffs on several children. One child had fresh injuries, which were allegedly caused by physical holds used by staff.
During the visit, the CPT delegation received a few allegations regarding “excessive restraint practices”.
The CPT concluded that restraint use was not being used as a “last resort” but as a response to poor behaviour
The watchdog has urged Holyrood to “explicitly prohibit the practice” and stated that an independent review should be carried out into the use of “restraints across all secure accommodation centre”.
The recent Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Act, which passed on May, includes provisions that MSPs are required to issue statutory guidance on restraints and seclusion in care services.
The work to develop the guidance is set to begin in due course. This will form part of the Government’s commitment known as “The Promise”.
It was made following an Independent Care Review, with the goal of fully implementing systemic changes to care across Scotland by 2030.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is committed to The Promise and our shared objective with providers of reducing the need to practice restraint and seclusion in secure care settings.
“The well-being and safety of children and young people is paramount – restraint should only be used in exceptional circumstances, as a last resort, or when it is the only practicable means of securing the welfare or safety of the child or another person.”
During the visits, the delegation was not informed of any allegations of physical ill-treatment by staff at either unit.
However, the CPT were recent staff misconduct cases towards children at both St Mary’s and Rossie House.
In four of the five cases, there were findings of inappropriate use of force or gross misconduct resulting in staff dismissal.
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