Bild welcomes scrutiny of the serious concerns raised in the safeguarding review (2026) into Whitefield School. Restraint and seclusion cause significant physical and psychological harm, particularly when used routinely. Restraint must only ever be used where it is both necessary and proportionate. Restraint and seclusion must not be used habitually; there are many more humane ways of supporting children who are distressed and all efforts must be made to understand and meet their needs before distress arises. Where restraint or seclusion is not necessary or not proportional, it is deemed the misuse of restraint and should be treated as a safeguarding concern.
As stated in the 2026 report, Bild were commissioned by the local authority in 2016 to support the implementation of PBS in local specialist children services. In July 2016 Bild sent a report to the local authority that highlighted significant concerns about the use of calming rooms at Whitefield, with particular concern for a small number of pupils where the use of these rooms was routine.
Whilst we see great practice in many schools, we still encounter the use of isolation rooms in too many special schools. Whenever we see such rooms or data identifying their use, we always explain that the use of such rooms can be both harmful and breach rights and that the rooms should be decommissioned and repurposed. We have consistently called for an end to the use of enforced isolation in special schools.
Ben Higgins, CEO of Bild says: –
“Restraint and seclusion are by their nature traumatic and can cause significant harm – and should never become routine practice. Children in special schools should feel safe and their rights respected. DfE revised guidance does not go far enough to protect children in special schools from the harmful misuse of restrictive practices. Now is the time for government to take action to end the use of enforced isolation in special schools.”
Through the Restraint Reduction Network, which Bild established as an independent charity in 2020, we have continued to call for stronger protections for children in schools in England (as we believe there is often better protection for children in Scotland and for Adults in Mental Health services in England than for children in special schools England), including clearer accountability and urgent improvements to national guidance on restrictive practices in special schools. We want to see an end to the use of seclusion in special schools.
We were surprised to learn from the safeguarding review report that the Bild report was withdrawn because of threatened legal action. We are not aware of the details of any threatened legal action against the local authority or the circumstances in which the report was withdrawn and therefore cannot comment on those matters.