Articles

Autism adult services: preparing for CQC inspection on restrictive practice and legal safeguards

CQC scrutiny of restrictive practice and legal safeguards focuses on whether providers understand deprivation, operate DoLS/LPS correctly, and actively reduce restriction while keeping people safe. This article sets out how...

Autism adult services: auditing restrictive practices and evidencing least-restrictive care

Providers can only reduce restrictive practice reliably if they can evidence what restrictions exist, why they are used, and how they reduce over time. This article sets out a practical...

Autism adult services: safeguarding risks linked to restrictive practice

Restrictive practices can increase safeguarding risk when they create power imbalance, dependency or isolation. This article explains how providers identify safeguarding risks linked to restriction, manage them lawfully, and evidence...

Autism adult services: reviewing and ending DoLS and LPS authorisations

DoLS and LPS authorisations should reduce restriction over time, not entrench it. This article explains how providers review authorisations properly, identify when deprivation no longer applies, and evidence safe exit...

Autism adult services: staff training and supervision for lawful restrictive practice

Restrictive practice risk increases when staff do not understand legal thresholds, least-restrictive principles, or how to evidence proportional decision-making. This article explains how providers train and supervise staff to use...

Autism adult services: building a restrictive practice register and governance cycle

Restrictive practices cannot be reduced reliably without a clear register, review cycle and accountable governance. This article explains how providers build a restrictive practice register that links day-to-day restrictions to...

Autism adult services: positive risk-taking within restrictive practice frameworks

Positive risk-taking is essential to reducing restriction in adult autism services, but it must be structured, evidenced and governed. This article explains how providers balance safety and autonomy, embed positive...

Autism adult services: applying DoLS and LPS lawfully in everyday practice

Applying DoLS and LPS correctly in adult autism services requires more than completing forms. This article explains how providers identify deprivation, apply safeguards lawfully, and integrate authorisations into day-to-day support,...

Autism adult services: recognising when care becomes a deprivation of liberty

Providers often struggle to identify when restrictions cross the threshold into deprivation of liberty. This article explains how to recognise deprivation in adult autism services, apply DoLS or LPS lawfully,...

Autism adult services: reducing restrictive practices within the law

Restrictive practices in adult autism services often emerge through risk aversion, system pressure and poorly designed support rather than necessity. This article sets out how providers reduce restriction lawfully, embed...