Project Details
Project Description
In Australia, a restrictive practice is defined as a practice or intervention that has the effect of restricting the rights or freedom of movement of a person with disabilities, and includes physical, mechanical, and chemical restraint, and seclusion. It is now recognised that restrictive practices can present serious human rights infringements. Professionals who deliver positive behaviour support programs are now responsible for developing behaviour support plans that aim to reduce and eliminate the use of restrictive practices. In Victoria, the use of physical restraint in response to behaviours of concern has increased in recent years. The reasons why physical restraint has increased are not clear. Researchers from the University of Melbourne and Monash University are partnering with National Disability Services and VALID to conduct new research about the use and reduction of physical restraint. We want to know why people with disabilities continue to be physically restrained, and what more can be done to reduce and eliminate the use of physical restraint. to learn more, we will conduct interviews and surveys with disability service provider organisation managers/leaders, authorised program officers, community visitors, behaviour support practitioners, and support workers. We will ask professionals to tell us (a) why physical restraint might be authorised for use as part of a behaviour support plan, (b) where and when they have observed instances of unauthorised physical restraint, (c) what factors might contribute to the use of physical restraint, (d) what strategies they use to avoid the use of physical restraint (alternatives to physical restraint), and (e) what strategies help reduce and eliminate the use of physical restraint. By speaking to people who work in different roles within disability service provider organisations, we aim to learn more about how organisational (or systems) approaches might be used to facilitate the reduction and elimination of physical restraint. Information from these activities will be synthesised to inform the development of new recommendations related to the authorisation, oversight, use, and reduction of physical restraint in Victoria. Findings will be used to develop both policy and practice recommendations that ultimately seek to improve outcomes for people with disabilities and protect and uphold their human rights.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 30/08/23 → 30/08/24 |