Authorisation of Restrictive Practices in WA
Issue 19 | July 2026
- ARP Spotlight: Seclusion
- Preparing for QA Panels
- Upcoming education sessions
- Best practice in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS): Reducing restrictive practices
ARP Spotlight
Authorisation of Seclusion
It is essential to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Restrictive practices should only be used to protect people when a behaviour of concern poses a risk of harm to a person with disability and/or others.
Seclusion is defined as ‘the sole confinement of a person with disability in a room or a physical space at any hour of the day or night where voluntary exit is prevented, or not facilitated, or it is implied that voluntary exit is not permitted' [1].
Seclusion use can cause harm and exacerbate existing trauma for the person secluded. It is understood that the experience of seclusion is negative, harmful, associated with feelings of fear and perceived as a punishment. Its effects are far reaching and isolates the person, excludes them from others, and severely restricts access to activities and environments
Examples of seclusion can include:
A person is locked in a room or an area alone and free exit is not possible.
A person is sent to a room or area to be alone where they cannot leave, or they understand they cannot leave until certain conditions are met (e.g. to be calm).
Staff lock or barricade themselves in a staff room, with the person left alone in the house, unable to get out or interact with anyone.
Seclusion does not include when a person initiates taking a break in a room or area where they choose to be alone and can independently leave at any time.
Seclusion is a regulated restrictive practice that requires authorisation under the Policy when used on a person with disability.
Authorisation requirements
When a Quality Assurance Panel review the use of seclusion in a Behaviour Support Plan of a person, they must ensure that the use of seclusion is:
used as a last resort, after other proactive, person-centred strategies have been explored and applied.
least restrictive considering its negative impact on the person with disability.
reduces the actual risk of harm to the person with disability and/or others.
proportionate to the behaviour of concern it is used to address.
used for the shortest period of time.
Engaging with the person with disability and their key supporters, helps build a shared understanding of the person’s needs and support requirements. It may avoid the use of restrictive practices altogether or may inform the impact of various practices on the individual, leading to collaborative problem solving, the adoption of more person-centred strategies and reduction of the use of restrictive practices over time.
Consider the risks to the person
It is important not to use a restrictive practice until evidence-based, person-centred, proactive strategies have been explored. The use of seclusion can lead to unintended escalation or re-triggering of past trauma. If this is considered a possibility, it is likely the use of seclusion could cause more harm to a person or not be a proportionate response to the behaviour of concern. In such circumstances, alternative strategies should be considered.
[1] Authorisation of Restrictive Practices in Funded Disability Services Policy
Preparing for Quality Assurance (QA) Panels
When preparing for a QA Panel, previous QA Panel Outcome Summary Reports are required for supporting documentation. The reports provide QA Panel members with important information about the previous authorisation decisions and include:
- the reasons why the principles for the use of the restrictive practice/s were met or not met
- the recommendations made by the QA Panel.
Prior to the QA Panel meeting, the Implementing Provider who convenes the meeting, needs to ensure that previous QA Panel Outcome Summary Reports are included in the supporting documentation and provided to the decision-making members of the QA Panel prior to the QA Panel meeting.
The template for the QA Panel Outcome Summary Report can be found at Appendix 2 of the Procedure Guidelines. This template must not be altered. It needs to be completed by the Implementing Provider and signed by all the decision-making members after the QA Panel meeting.
There must only be one QA Panel Outcome Summary Report for a person with disability for each QA Panel meeting, including when there is more than one Implementing Provider using the same QA Panel for authorisation.
Upcoming Education
Education sessions will be held on Microsoft Teams.
To register: Please click on the session title and select your preferred date on Eventbrite.
ARP Policy Overview Session for disability service providers and Behaviour Support Practitioners:
- Thursday 6 August 2026, 10am–11:30am AWST
- Wednesday 16 September 2026, 1:30pm–3pm AWST
- Friday 30 October 2026, 10:30am–12pm AWST
ARP Policy Deep Dive: Out of Scope Practices for disability service providers and Behaviour Support Practitioners:
- Wednesday 19 August 2026, 1:30pm–3pm AWST
- Thursday 10 September 2026, 10:30am–12pm AWST
- Tuesday 13 October 2026, 1:30pm–3pm AWST
ARP Policy Deep Dive: Reduction and Elimination of Restrictive Practices for disability service providers and Behaviour Support Practitioners with a good understanding of restrictive practices and are familiar with the Policy:
- Monday 10 August 2026, 1:30pm–3pm AWST
- Monday 7 September 2026, 1:30pm–3pm AWST
- Thursday 24 September 2026, 10:30am–12pm AWST
- Tuesday 27 October 2026, 1:30pm–3pm AWST
ARP Policy: Supported Decision Making for disability service providers and Behaviour Support Practitioners:
- Thursday 30 July 2026, 10am–12pm AWST
- Thursday 20 August 2026, 10am–12pm AWST
- Monday 26 October 2026, 1:30pm–3:30pm AWST
Positive Behaviour Support and Authorisation of Restrictive Practices (formerly Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support) for Senior Managers/Delegates on Quality Assurance (QA) Panels:
- Wednesday 26 August 2026, 10:30am–12pm AWST
- Thursday 22 October 2026, 10:30am–12pm AWST
Authorisation Requirements and Quality Assurance Panels (formerly QA Panels Intro Session) for Behaviour Support Practitioners (for authors of behaviour support plans and practitioners sitting on QA Panels) and for Senior Managers/Delegates on QA Panels:
- Wednesday 12 August 2026, 9:30am–12:30pm AWST
- Thursday 3 September 2026, 9:30am–12:30pm AWST
- Wednesday 21 October 2026, 9:30am–12:30pm AWST
Quality Assurance Panels Practice Sessions – three separate practice scenarios for Behaviour Support Practitioners (for authors of behaviour support plans and practitioners sitting on QA Panels) and Senior Managers/Delegates on QA Panels who have completed an Authorisation Requirements and QA Panels Session (formerly QA Panels Intro Session):
- Monday 3 August 2026, 1:30pm–3:30pm AWST
- Wednesday 14 October 2026, 1:30pm–3:30pm AWST
- Monday 31 August 2026, 1:30pm–3:30pm AWST
- Wednesday 23 September 2026, 1:30pm–3:30pm AWST
Email BehaviourSupportConsultancy@Communities.wa.gov.au for more information on education sessions.
Best practice in PBS
Working together to reduce restrictive practices
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) provides a lens through which a person’s needs can be understood and supported. When needs are understood and supported, a person has a better quality of life and is less likely to resort to a behaviour of concern to communicate an unmet need. In turn, when there is no behaviour of concern, restrictive practices are not needed as there is no risk of harm to the person or others.
Best practice in PBS depends on meaningful collaboration with the person, their family members, support workers and others who know them well to understand them and what they need. When looking at these needs, proactive, person-centred strategies can be identified to support the person including changes to their environment and how they are supported.
The Behaviour Support Practitioner plays a central role in collaborating with all stakeholders given their responsibility to develop a behaviour support plan (BSP). This supports a coordinated approach to supporting the person and a platform by which restrictive practices can be identified, reduced and eliminated.
When a restrictive practice is contained within a BSP, information must be included to address the following 5 principles:
- Last Resort Principle
- Least Restrictive Approach Principle
- Reduce Risk of Harm Principle
- Proportionality Principle
- Shortest Possible Time Principle
When addressing the principles, information should be drawn from the person and those who know them well. This allows us to understand what would be least restrictive to them, based on their desires, history, culture and background.
As part of a BSP, the Behaviour Support Practitioner must include (or refer to) an elimination and reduction plan which outlines the steps to reduce and eliminate the use of restrictive practice(s) over time. It is essential that such a plan is developed in collaboration with key supports around the person to ensure it reflects a shared understanding of the person and can be implemented effectively.
Elements that are important to address with the support team and captured in a reduction and elimination plan include:
What information will be collected/monitored? For example, restrictive practice use, occurrence of behaviour of concern, the use of supports to address and meet needs.
Who will collect the information? How often?
How will the data be used and reviewed?
What are the markers or indicators that reduction and elimination of restrictive practices can occur? How will the team identify and implement this?
How were the person’s preferences integrated in the plan?
It is critical that the behaviour support practitioner and support team around a person collaborate closely in identifying markers for reduction and elimination as well as collecting and reviewing information. This will help identify when it is safe to trial a systematic and careful reduction based on evidence.
An organisational culture focused on meeting the person with disability’s needs and supporting reduction and elimination of restrictive practices is essential to enable regular review of information, including releasing staff to be part of review meetings.
By working together behaviour support practitioners and support teams can move away from restrictive practices and towards proactive strategies that uphold the rights, dignity, and quality of life of the person.
Workplaces that value and facilitate supported decision-making, safeguard and promote quality of life of the persons being supported as well as a reduction and elimination of restrictive practices. These practices prioritise the needs and preferences of the individuals as a core part of service provision.
For specific questions regarding the Policy, please email: arp@communities.wa.gov.au
For enquiries on the regulation or reporting of restrictive practices in the NDIS, email the NDIS Commission: behavioursupport@ndiscommission.gov.au
Feedback or suggestions for future bulletins
The bulletin is intended to provide guidance around the Authorisation of Restrictive Practice in Funded Disability Services Policy. Your feedback and suggestions are valued and welcomed.
Please email arp@communities.wa.gov.au with any feedback, suggestions about a topic or questions you would like answered in future publications.
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