{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/childrens-homes-regulations-northern-ireland-2005/regulation-16",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/childrens-homes-regulations-northern-ireland-2005/regulation-16.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/2005/176",
  "legislation_title": "The Children’s Homes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/childrens-homes-regulations-northern-ireland-2005",
  "path": "regulation/16",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "16",
  "heading": "Behaviour management, discipline and restraint",
  "text": "(1) No measure of control, restraint, seclusion or discipline, which is contrary to paragraph (3), shall be used at any time on children accommodated in a children’s home.\n(2) The registered manager shall ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children’s home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose which shall include –\n(a) the name of the child concerned;\n(b) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;\n(c) details of the action taken by staff to prevent the use of the measure;\n(d) a description of the measure used;\n(e) the date, time and location of, the use of the measure, and in the case of any form of restraint, the duration of the restraint;\n(f) the name of the person using the measure, and of any other person present;\n(g) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure, including the outcome of any post-incident monitoring with all involved staff and children; and\n(h) the signature of a person authorised by the registered provider to make the record.\n(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the following shall not be used as disciplinary measures on children accommodated in a children’s home –\n(a) any form of corporal punishment;\n(b) any punishment relating to the consumption or deprivation of food or drink;\n(c) any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 15, on –\n(i) a child’s contact with his parents, relatives or friends;\n(ii) visits to him by his parents, relatives or friends;\n(iii) a child’s communications with any of the persons listed in regulation 15(2); or\n(iv) his access to any telephone helpline providing counselling for children;\n(d) any seclusion or separation of the child from the group;\n(e) any requirement that a child wear distinctive or inappropriate clothes;\n(f) the use or withholding of medication or medical or dental treatment;\n(g) the intentional deprivation of sleep;\n(h) the imposition of any financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by instalments) by way of reparation;\n(i) any intimate physical examination of the child;\n(j) the withholding of any aids or equipment needed by a disabled child;\n(k) any measure which involves –\n(i) any child in the imposition of any measure against any other child; or\n(ii) the punishment of a group of children for the behaviour of an individual child.\n(4) Nothing in this regulation shall prohibit –\n(a) the taking of any action by, or in accordance with the instructions of, a medical practitioner or a dental practitioner which is necessary to protect the health of a child;\n(b) the taking of any action immediately necessary to prevent injury to any person or serious damage to property; or\n(c) the imposition of a requirement that a child wear distinctive clothing for sporting purposes, or for purposes connected with his education or with any organisation whose members customarily wear uniform in connection with its activities.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 16 in operation at 1.4.2005, see reg. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2005/176/regulation/16",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T01:52:51.907347+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}