Nursery using high chair as a physical restraint

[Lemongrasssugar]

Is it legal?
A nursery I work in has started to put children in high chairs if they start to be disruptive or try to constantly run out of the room. The children in question are 2 and 3.

I find it very uncomfortable and feel that there must be another method.

Hmm it is physically restraining the child so it sure it is the right thing to do. Are staff able to monitor the other children in the room and keep them safe whilst the child is doing this?

I can't imagine Ofsted would particularly like it if they walked in and saw children being strapped down against their will.

Meant to say not sure it is the right thing

I'd go bloody mental if nursery done this to my 2 year old!!

No that doesnt sit well with me either. For a consistent offender who is constantly biting or something maybe with prior discussion with parents. But not for just running about or being a bit disruptive. Imo. Maybe you could gently ask staff who do it if the parents know that's what's happening. And highlight you haven't saw that practice before.

When my son used to go to a childminder she told me she had done this to my son.

I immediately started looking for a new childminder.

I’d pull my child out of such a nursery pronto whether illegal or not

Always ask yourself if the parent was present would I be happy to do this. Never treat children how you wouldn't want your child treated
If something happened to the child how would they justify doing it? They are not dealing with the behaviour they are reacting to it
It's a serious no no

If you’re doing this in order to keep the children present or safe, you’re not in control of your setting. We (or I assume most of us) send children to nurseries on the understanding that their care will be as good as that we would provide at home. I can see no circumstances where I would have to do this at home, so I can’t see why it would ever be necessary in a nursery for any legitimate reason.

Omg no way.
If anyone every physically restrained my child like that. I'd physically restrain them. And I'm not a violent person but that would make me rage.
Poor kids will be scared to get in the highchair for meal Times.

What @rollonnextyear says

Kids will start to asociate high chairs with punishment and feel confused/scared during meal times.

Absolutely awful, please report this to OFSTED

Wrong and surely quite dangerous as 2 and 3 year olds are likely to be too big for highchairs and able to undo the buckle and climb out quite easily. They could fall and hurt themselves while doing this though. Just not appropriate.

This is very poor practice. It needs to be reported.

I think it depends

If they are simply putting a child in a high chair and walking away, of course its not right.

if they are putting them in, continuing to interact, perhaps providing a distraction- drink/snack etc then maybe not

Of course the poster is implying the former then of course its wrong.

I do wonder how children of that age are ''running out of the room' - that would concern me as well.

@ellenpartridge that's very true. My 20m old can undo highchair straps

churchandstate The care your child recieves in a childcare setting cannot and never will be as good as a child gets at home, for the simple reasons, the staff dont work 1:1, they have a mass of admin to do and every child has to compete with other children for attention.

lowlandLucky

I don’t believe the amount of 1:1 is the most important factor. In a nursery setting the children can interact with each other and there is more going on. It’s different, but it should be no worse than at home. The child shouldn’t feel neglected or lonely or frightened because of staff ratios or admin. That’s when a nursery needs to close down.

They could also rock and tip the chair at that age

A bit off subject, but the worst thing I have heard happening in a nursery, was when my friends daughter was training as a nneb (is that it?) Around 25 years ago.
There was a little blind boy there, whom the staff obviously felt was a nuisance, they would sit him on a box , his feet were only around a foot off the floor and tell him not to move as he was very high up and would break his bones if he fell! Can you imagine e the fear for a 2 year old!
My friends daughter at 16 was distraught about this and along with her mum, reported them to the council, her daughter was removed to another placement and the manager removed.
Hopefully places are better monitored now days.

At that age??! No way. My DC would freak out and he is very strong anyway so I can see the chair tipping or him becoming very distressed.

No no no no
You need to report this

@Lemongrasssugar no it’s not right and I can only surmise my dd would have been upset and/or resisted it and tried to escape at a similar age.

My feeling would be you have two choices; approach management with your concerns and put the responsibility of fixing this in their hands or report them to ofsted. Life experience tells me you can only really do one or the other and continue to work there because if you raise it and are unhappy with the outcome you will immediately be singled out if you do decide to take it to ofsted or marked out as the troublemaker anyway.

Personally I would report to ofsted and look for another job. What they’re doing is at best bad practice and at worst abuse. I wouldn’t want any part in it but would have to report it to try and protect those poor children.

If it helps your resolve I would always remember that should something serious happen as a result of this no-one is going to have your back here and people will very quickly start covering their arse by hanging yours out to dry. An event serious enough could land you in court.

Report it.

Rubyupbeat, that’s awful. What a horrible thing to do to a child.

You definitely need to speak to management and express your concerns. Refuse to do it yourself. Report to OFSTED. If it doesn’t stop I think you should leave the job. You may have a constructive dismissal case if you have to do that.

I would be absolutely fuming if someone did that to my 2 year old. If they can't look after the children without restraining them there is something seriously wrong.

Report them asap.

If I were you I would refuse to do it and report it to Ofsted. What awful practice. I would immediatley remove a child from a setting with this practice.