Guidance

Annex A: use of force staff report (accessible)

Published 21 November 2025

August 2025

Home Office Use of Force Report (Annex A)

Reference No:

Page 1 of:

Staff Statement

Date of incident:

Resident’s Atlas No:

Resident’s full name:

Officer rank:

Officer name:

The use of force must only be used when it is:

i. Necessary

ii. Reasonable

iii. Proportionate

Indicate your primary role if any:

• Head
• Left arm
• Right arm
• Legs
• Cuffing officer
• Supervising officer

Application of pain techniques used:

• Yes
• No

(Expand in Annex A)

Serious injury and warning sign identified:

• Yes
• No

(Expand in Annex A)

BWC Activated?

• Yes
• No

(If no expand in Annex A)

Please provide as much detail as possible below, including:

Before the incident (i.e. what lead to the incident, any de-escalation techniques used), during the incident (i.e. what types of force were employed and why), and after the incident (i.e. where resident was relocated to and any injuries sustained). Your statement must set out what happened; give details of your part in the use of force, any restraints/holds you applied and how the incident was finally resolved. It must give details of who authorised the use of force, as well as attempts made to de-escalate throughout the incident. Your statement must be completed independently of other staff involved in the incident.

To ensure your report is as thorough as possible refer to the decision making process report writing aide memoire which is attached to the back of this document.

I…………………………………….. am a……………employed at …………………….. and have ….. years’ service as a DCO. I have completed the initial Use of Force training course and my last refresher course was completed on (DATE) ………………. This training has raised my awareness of the lawful use of force and the Home Office/HMPPS policies surrounding it. This statement is based on my personal knowledge and experience of this incident, except where I indicate otherwise.

*Insert more pages as necessary

Signed:

Name:

Rank:

Date:

Home Office Use of Force Report writing aide memoire

1. Information received/what is the issue?

(Describe what information you had prior to, and during the incident.

• Previous behaviour problems/Mental illness/Medical issues/Personality disorders/influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Weapons available/did you see a weapon and if so what sort.
• Information/intelligence related to specific resident.
• Were there any language barriers?

Describe what/how the incident began and what you saw on arrival

• Signs of anger/body language/levels of aggression/violence displayed.
• Assaults/fighting/number of individuals involved.
• Residents damaged property – rooms/units.
• Escapes/attempt escapes.
• Residents committing acts of self-harm.
• Visual messages of compliance or resistance following staff response/action
• Raised voices/language
• Other sounds such as breaking/moving furniture.
• Explicit or implicit threats to you or others.
• Verbal messages of compliance or resistance following DCOs actions.
• What was the resident saying/doing? For example, standing up/sitting down/fighting/standing over someone/running away or escaping.
• Were there members of the public in the area?
• Did you speak to the resident? If so what did you instruct/command? What impact did that have on the residents?
• What non-verbal communication did you use (if any)? Hand signals/gestures/directions.
• Were you aware of any history of violence, intimidation, non-compliance by the resident?
• Had the resident encroached into yours or others personal space?
• Who else was present? What instructions/orders were given?

2. Assess the risk or threat

Describe what was the imminent threat/risk

• Compliant: Offers no resistance and complies with all requests.
• Verbal resistance and gestures: refuses to comply either verbally or through body language.
• Passive resistance: Stands/sits/lies still and will not move.
• Active resistance: Resident pulls away/pushes away from DCO but makes no attempt to strike.
• Violent behaviour: Resident physically attacks DCOs or others.
• Threat to life and limb: Resident commits an assault which has the possibility of serious or life-threatening injury (may include weapons) Describe the impact factors.
• Sex, ages, size and strength of the resident and member(s) of staff.
• Knowledge of resident.
• Mental health issues.
• Language barriers.
• In a room/unit.
• In a public arena.
• What immediate action was required?
• How probable is the risk of harm?
• How serious would the risk be of doing nothing?
• What was it you were trying to achieve?

3. Law and Policy/what authority do you have?

• Human Rights Act (1998)
• Criminal Law Act (1967)
• Common Law
• DC Rule 41/43
• Immigration and Asylum Act (1999)

4. Resolution Strategy/What are your options? Your presence.

• Which assertive skills did you use, if any?
• How did you approach the incident?

Communication Skills.

• Verbal/non-verbal responses, before, during and after the incident.
• How did you attempt to de-escalate the incident?

Physical Skills/Personal safety skills

• What was the initial reason for contact with the resident?
• What did you think was going to happen if you had not used force?
• Did you use defensive techniques and/or restraint techniques.
• What instructions did you give to the resident?
• Did you tell them what to do and what was their level of compliance?
• Were there increased physical actions such as waving arms/kicking or punching?
• What resistance levels were displayed?
• Was the resident continually non-compliant? Were they resisting attempts for staff to gain control, both verbally and physically?
• Were any injuries suffered by the resident/you or others during your involvement?
• Was any medical attention obtained? If so, what attention was given and who else attended?
• Don’t be afraid to state how you felt: fearful/concerned for others/concern for residents’ health/shocked/dismayed/disorientated