What Is a Restrictive Practice Under the NDIS?
When a Support Coordinator or family member first hears the words "restrictive practice", the reaction is often alarm — and fair enough. The term sounds clinical and heavy. So what is a restrictive practice under the NDIS, and when is it ever appropriate? In short: restrictive practices are specific interventions that restrict a person's rights or freedom of movement. They are tightly regulated, must be authorised, and must always come with a plan to reduce or eliminate them. This guide walks through what restrictive practices are, the five regulated types, and the safeguards around each.
What Are Restrictive Practices in NDIS Behaviour Support?
Restrictive practices are strategies used with NDIS participants who display behaviours of concern — when those strategies restrict the person's movement, autonomy or freedom in some way. They are not first-line responses. They are last resorts, used only when less restrictive options have been tried, and only as part of a behaviour support plan written by a suitable behaviour support practitioner.
Every regulated restrictive practice must be authorised by the relevant state or territory authority and reported to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Any use outside of that process is an unauthorised restrictive practice — and a reportable incident.
The Five Regulated Restrictive Practices
Under the NDIS, five types of restrictive practice are regulated:
- Seclusion — the sole confinement of a person in a room or space they cannot freely leave.
- Chemical restraint — the use of medication for the primary purpose of influencing a person's behaviour, rather than to treat a diagnosed condition. Covered in depth in our blog on the medication monitoring form in behaviour support.
- Mechanical restraint — the use of a device to restrict a person's movement (excluding devices used for therapeutic or non-behavioural purposes, like a seatbelt or a postural support).
- Physical restraint — the direct application of physical force to restrict a person's movement.
- Environmental restraint — restricting a person's free access to parts of their environment, including items in it (e.g. locked cupboards, fridges, rooms).
Each type carries its own authorisation and reporting requirements, and each should be named explicitly in the participant's behaviour support plan.
Why a Reduction Plan Is Non-Negotiable
The NDIS framework is clear: where a restrictive practice is in use, there must be a plan to reduce or eliminate it wherever safe and possible. This isn't a nice-to-have. It's core to why PBS exists.
A good reduction plan typically includes:
- Clear, measurable criteria for scaling back use.
- Skill-building strategies that replace the need for the practice.
- Environmental, sensory or communication adjustments that reduce underlying triggers.
- Regular data review to track whether reduction is safely achievable.
This work rests on a thorough functional behaviour assessment. Without understanding why the behaviour is happening, a clinician is left in the dark and reduction becomes guesswork.
What Support Coordinators and Families Should Ask
If a restrictive practice is being used or proposed, it's fair to ask:
- Has this been authorised by the appropriate state or territory authority?
- Is it documented in a current behaviour support plan?
- What less-restrictive strategies were tried first?
- What's the reduction or elimination plan?
- Who reviews the data, and how often?
A good provider welcomes these questions. The PBS framework exists precisely to ensure these safeguards are taken seriously — and peer communities such as Every Australian Counts consistently echo the same message: questions are not an obstacle; they are the safeguard.
The Bottom Line for Participants and Families
Restrictive practices are never a goal. They are a last-resort tool used inside a wider plan aimed at reducing them. The measure of a good PBS provider is not whether restrictive practices are ever used as for some participants they are unavoidable. The sign of a effective PBS provider is evident in the way existing restrictive practices are managed - through their transparency, appropriate authorisation and plan for active reduction.
Concerned about restrictive practices in your participant's plan? Call AH2U on 1300 24 2428 or contact our team for a PBS review.
Positive Behaviour Support
