Two restraint techniques used on children in custody have been suspended by ministers after medical concern. The so-called nose distraction, involving a painful upward chop against the septum, and the “double basket”, whereby the arms are crossed and held behind the back, are banned while their safety is checked.
Kudos to the Children’s Rights Alliance who have fought a flat-out campaign following the deaths of several children in custody. During the inquests that followed their deaths, it became clear that ‘restraint’ was too often just another word for punishment
The ARCH Blog 