School set up "controlled self harm" policy for pupil
A specialist school is under investigation after setting up a “controlled self harm” policy to allow a teenage pupil to cut herself with razor blades. - Teachers were told to give the female pupil access to sterilised Bic safety razor blades and to escort her to a bathroom where she could cut herself. They were ordered to wait outside the bathroom while the child was inside, checking on her every two minutes, before the wounds were dressed and cleaned by staff. The policy is understood to have been designed by the school in collaboration with the pupil’s mother. However, it was abandoned after five days after several members of staff protested and complained to the local authority. Unsted Park School in Godalming, Surrey, offers education to boys and girls aged between seven and 19 years who have Asperger's syndrome and higher-functioning autism. Principal Steve Dempsey and head teacher Laura Blair now face the possibility of being brought before a Teaching Agency hearing over allegations of unacceptable professional conduct.