The EYFS talks in detail about behaviour management and clarifies that corporal punishment is illegal. It makes a distinction between corporal punishment (which is illegal) and physical intervention (which might be necessary to save a child’s life or protect them from serious injury).
The EYFS states –
“A person will not be taken to have used corporal punishment (and therefore will not have committed an offence), where physical intervention was taken for the purposes of averting immediate danger of personal injury to any person (including the child) or to manage a child’s behaviour if absolutely necessary”.
Physical intervention is where practitioners use reasonable force to prevent children from injuring themselves or others or damaging property. Providers, including childminders, must keep a record of any occasion where physical intervention is used, and parents and/or carers must be informed on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.
The requirements related to physical intervention are clear – if physical intervention is used to protect children from harm, I must record what has happened and share a copy of the information with parents.
Physical intervention might include:
- Stopping a child from hurting themselves
- Stopping a child from hurting another child
- Stopping a child from damaging property
- Managing a child’s behaviour if other interventions (the positive behaviour management techniques used in the provision) have failed to support the child’s needs
If I have written a ‘Physical intervention report’ about a child, I will ask parents to sign it on the same day – or as quickly as possible after the event. This will help us to show evidence to Ofsted that parents are aware of what has happened.
If parents have any questions about physical intervention and how it is used in the provision, please ask
Policy created- 14.1.18
Reviewed date- 31.12.18