ACT Office of the Senior Practitioner
Contact the ACT Senior Practitioner about the use of restrictive practices in education, disability services and out-of-home care settings.
What we do
We protect human rights by regulating the use of restrictive practices in schools, early childhood centres, disability services and out-of-home care services.
Our work is guided by a law called the Senior Practitioner Act 2018. This law gives us:
- a way to reduce and end restrictive practices by service providers in the ACT
- authority to a person called the Senior Practitioner.
The Senior Practitioner:
- regulates the use of restrictive practices by service providers
- helps to protect the rights of people who have a positive behaviour support plan with a restrictive practice
- investigates complaints about the use of a restrictive practice by service providers
- provides information, training and research about positive behaviour support and restrictive practice
- helps service providers follow guidelines and standards on the use of restrictive practice.
Our services
- Assessing and registering positive behaviour support plans with a restrictive practice: the process to get use of a restrictive practice approved.
- Using restrictive practices in the ACT: information for service providers about following the Senior Practitioner Act.
- What to do after you’ve used a restrictive practice: a checklist to make sure everyone is safe and you follow ACT laws and regulations.
- Monitoring reported uses of restrictive practices: how service providers report all uses of a restrictive practice
- Understand restrictive practices: an overview of the 5 types of restrictive practices that are regulated in the ACT.
- Online training to use a positive behaviour support approach if you work for an ACT education, disability or care and protection service provider.
- Office of the Senior Practitioner monthly newsletter: stay up to date with the Office of the Senior Practitioner and get tips to use the ACT Restrictive Intervention Database System. To subscribe to the newsletter email actseniorpractitioner@act.gov.au.
Positive Behaviour Support Plan Panel
Guidelines
- Positive Behaviour Support Plan Guidelines [PDF 1.3 MB]: gives guidance on how to prepare a Positive Behaviour Support Plan that includes a restrictive practice.
- Positive Behaviour Support Panel Guideline [PDF 1.6 MB]: gives guidance on the role of a Positive Behaviour Support Panel, members’ experience and qualifications and how to register a panel.
- Implementation Guideline for Disability Support Providers [PDF 995.4 kB]: to help providers and organisations providing disability services in the ACT understand the Senior Practitioner Act and how it applies to them.
- Easy read – restrictive practices and the Senior Practitioner [PDF 286.7 kB]
- Easy Read – The Senior Practitioner [PDF 270.9 kB]
- Easy Read – What is Restrictive Practice [PDF 312.5 kB]
Reports
Senior Practitioner Reports: annual reports on our activities to inform, educate and raise awareness, build capacity and capability, and grow professional expertise across the ACT.
Contact us
Office of the Senior Practitioner
Call
02 6205 2811