1884. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Education and Training:
I refer to the use of seclusion in Western Australian public schools, and I ask:
(a) in what situations is seclusion permitted;
(b) are schools required to record the use of seclusion:
(i) if yes to (b), what information is required to be included in the record; and
(ii) if no to (b), why not;
(c) does the department require parents/caregivers to be advised:
(i) if no to (c), why not; and
(d) on how many occasions was seclusion used by school staff in:
(i) 2015;
(ii) 2016;
(iii) 2017; and
(iv) 2018?
Hon Sue Ellery replied:
(a) Seclusion is not referenced in the School Education Act 1999 or the School Education Regulations 2000 and the Department of Education’s Student Behaviour in Public Schools Policy and Procedures refers to protective isolation, rather than seclusion.
Protective isolation may be used for the purpose of managing risk of harm. Regulations 38(a) and 38(c) of the School Education Regulations 2000 permit a school staff member may take reasonable action:
to manage or care for a student; or
to prevent or restrain a person who places at risk the safety of self or others.
(b) Schools are required to record the use of protective isolation.
(i) The following information is required to be included in the record:
the date, time, location, and duration of the protective isolation;
the reason for the protective isolation;
behavioural observations of the student before, during and following protective isolation; details of contact with the parents/carers;
brief details of the follow-up support provided;
a statement by the staff member/s involved; and
a statement (or substitute) by the student involved.
(ii) Not applicable.
(c) Yes.
(i) Not applicable.
(d) The number of occasions that schools reported using protective isolation are:
| Year |
Number of occasions |
|
(i) 2015 |
Not applicable * |
|
(ii) 2016 |
278 |
|
(iii) 2017 |
102 |
|
(iv) 2018 |
96 |
* The Department did not record this data prior to 2016.