About our company history and background

History

From an original idea and proposal to the Home Office Prison Department in the mid 1970s, Professor T W Starling’s initiating of Control and Restraint training has grown beyond all expectations.

The original proposal was shelved by the Home Office at the time; it was not until the tragic death of a young offender at Winson Green Prison [picture top right] shortly followed by another tragedy with a patient at Broadmoor Hospital [picture bottom right] that the Department begin to take notice of the original concept of minimal-violence humane restraint methods devised by Prof. Tom Starling. His proposal was taken on board by the P.E. Branch of the Prison Service and a system was created to produce the methodology in use today.

There are now literally thousands of people trained using these methods. New adaptations and additions have been made to the system over time to reflect the dignity and safety of people of all ages having to be restrained, and encompassing changes to the law and applicable guidelines.

[picture above left: Tom Starling Jr. Chloe Smith MP for Norwich South on a recent discussion on National Standards after the recent Panorama Programme on abuse in a Learning Disability Hospital in Bristol]

Professor Starling started teaching C&R methods privately in 1988, and in 1996 his son, Tom Starling junior joined the business which became Ethical Care Control and Restraint (UK) Ltd in 2004, with Tom Starling junior as the sole director. Professor Tom Starling still works for the company on a part time basis and remains a fit man now in his 70's.