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Introduction

Holding Differently, Containing Distress is a collaborative research project between the University of Strathclyde, the Scottish Physical Restraint Action Group (SPRAG), CELCIS, and the residential child care sector to understand how physical restraint is used in Scotland, and to learn from the sector about its successes and challenges related to restraint reduction and elimination.

The project is funded by the Scottish Government. It draws on workforce experiences and practice wisdom to inform organisations’ and providers’ efforts towards reducing and even eliminating the use of physical restraint. Please have a look at the About the Project and Timeline pages for further details.

This site shares information, resources and updates for people who work in residential child care, interested professionals, and care-experienced people currently or previously living in residential child care.

What we are doing

The project is structured around three main activities:

  1. Listening and understanding using a survey of residential child care workers to understand the current use of physical restraint and restraint reduction in Scottish residential child care services.
  2. Learning from practice working with a small number of care providers to explore what is working well when restraint is avoided.
  3. Developing resources, based on this listening, understanding and learning, to support related practice and policy development.

In carrying out this work, we will

  • Work with SPRAG members co-productively to shape the project, its survey and the resources we create from the learning we gather.
  • Open the survey to the entire Scottish residential child care workforce in late summer / early autumn 2026.
  • Publish interim findings in early 2027.
  • Work with SPRAG members to create resources that bring the learning from the project to the wider residential child care sector.
  • Share resources that teams can use in practice and reflective learning in May 2028.
  • Publish our final report in mid-2028.

The project began in December 2025 and is due to finish in May 2028. The Timeline provides a clear view of key stages and milestones.

Stay involved

If you would like to follow the progress of the project, you can sign up for updates.

If you’re interested in becoming a Holding Differently Champion, check out what it entails here.

Get in touch

If you have questions, please email holding-differently-project@strath.ac.uk.