What Are Restrictive Physical Interventions?

Restrictive physical interventions are methods that limit a person's freedom of movement, used only when non-restrictive options - verbal de-escalation, guiding, blocking - have failed and there is a genuine risk of harm. Unlike supportive or guiding contact, a restrictive intervention actively prevents someone from moving as they wish, so it carries a higher legal, ethical, and physical threshold before it can be justified.

What makes an intervention "restrictive"

An intervention is restrictive if it stops someone doing something they're actively trying to do - leaving a room, moving their arms, standing up. This applies whether the restriction comes from direct physical contact, positioning, or equipment.

• Direct physical contact: holding a person's arms or body to prevent movement.
• Environmental restriction: using layout or positioning to physically block an exit or pathway.
• Equipment-based restriction: rare in most workplace settings, but includes items such as splints or straps in specific care contexts.

Core rules for using restrictive interventions

• Last resort: only after de-escalation and non-restrictive options have failed.
• Proportionate: the level of restriction must match the level of risk — no more.
• Time-limited: released at the earliest safe opportunity, never prolonged beyond necessity.
• Never punitive: used solely to prevent harm, never as a response to non-compliance.

For a fuller picture of where this sits on the spectrum, see example of a physical intervention.

For security, facilities, and enforcement teams who may need to use restrictive techniques as a genuine last resort, our physical intervention security training covers safe, medically reviewed restrictive practice within a clear legal framework.