BIHR welcome the launch of the Restraint Reduction Network Training Standards 2019. We are delighted to have been involved in the development of this framework which has human rights at its very core. The standards will provide a benchmark for training in supporting people who are distressed in education, health and social care settings. These are ethical standards which aim to protect human rights and reduce restraint. The case for why the standards are so needed is made in its foreword, which recounts the story of 23 year old Seni who died in a mental health hospital in 2010 after prolonged restraint by 11 police officers. The use of restraint, whilst occasionally necessary, can often be traumatic and is frequently not the most proportionate or lawful way of working with a person. BIHR do a lot of work regarding restrictive practices, supporting both staff and service users to understand this in relation to human rights. Evidence gathered from our work clearly reflects that a right…

This post was originally published on British Institute of Human Rights News .