Founder & Chief Executive Officer

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Beth’s youngest son Calum has complex additional support needs including Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy and Autism. Calum sustained horrific injuries during a dangerous face-down “restraint” by staff at his “special school” in 2010. 

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Beth was extremely vocal about this practise and began hearing from hundreds of other families whose child had been treated in a similar way. She decided that more needed to be done to support children with disabilities who communicate distress through their behaviour. She has dedicated the last decade of her life supporting parents and families like her in school meetings and on various parent forums.

After studying Psychology, Behavioural Science and Mental Health at University. Beth trained with BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities) successfully completing their Positive Behaviour Support Coaches Programme.  All to understand how children, young people and adults with learning disabilities should be cared for, without the need for restraint and seclusion.

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In 2014, She found that there was no guidance for school staff on the use of restrictive practices so she campaigned with the help of the Scottish Parliamentary Petitions committee in Holyrood to get the guidance she felt was badly needed first of all in Scotland then later she took her campaign UK wide. Supported by almost every children’s and disability organisation, Beth’s campaign went as far as the UNCRC in Geneva and, as a result, she not only won a national award, it was key to the Scottish Government producing the current guidance for schools in 2017. 

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Beth is passionate about understanding behaviour as communication and founded PABSS which is a registered Charity. Her organisation brings training and understanding to parents, carers and professionals that positive & proactive strategies, focused on meeting the emotional, physical and sensory needs of the individual is a real alternative to the use of restrictive practices which will promote better, happier lives. In 2018, as a result of Beth’s campaigning success, Scotland’s Commissioner for children and Young People launched a formal investigation into the use of restraint & seclusion in schools resulting in “No Safe Place” published in 2019. 

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Beth joined the UK’s Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) to provide expert guidance to steer all elements of RRN work including the development of a Scottish Community of Practise. She is also on the board of ENABLE Scotland and is an award-winning children’s and disability rights campaigner. Beth was inducted into The Saltire Society’s Outstanding Women of Scotland. She is an Amnesty International Award Winner and was one of The Times Educational Supplements “People of The Year 2019”

In 2020, Beth launched a research paper in collaboration with the RRISC Group in the House of Lords on how restraint & seclusion affects children & young people in schools.  She is now working with The Scottish Government once again to help inform brand new rights-based guidance on the use of restrictive practises which she hopes will uphold the human rights of children and young people in schools and children’s services. She is still absolutely committed to eliminating the inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion and that staff and professionals will be given the right training, skills and support to do the jobs they love.