something we would highly recommend in
winning hearts and minds.
A key factor in enabling progress was getting
the ward staff themselves on side, reassuring
them that the trust at the most senior level would
support them as they adjusted to the closure of
seclusion rooms. We found that the importance
of this can easily be underestimated. Ensuring
that a cohesive message of support was sent
all the way through from senior and middle
management was vital.
Practical progress
Seclusion rooms were gradually re-furbished to
provide de-escalation/relaxation areas and new
policies were developed around safety and care.
Another crucial step forward was for the Trust
to host a presentation to staff of The Safewards
Project (safewards.net) led by Len Bowers and
subsequently to embrace the Department of
Health‘s Positive and Proactive Care initiatives.
They are just about to publish their own Safe and
Positive Policy which sets out very clearly the
need for change and acknowledges that the
driving force has been the shared experiences
of their customers. Service receiver groups such
as ourselves have been invited to sit on their
Safe and Positive Steering Group whose role
will be to ensure that all the necessary initiatives
and changes are driven forward.
At the point in time at which I write this piece
our local trust has closed all its seclusion rooms
apart from two remaining rooms on the Enhanced
Care Ward. For the time being it has been felt
necessary to retain these seclusion rooms for
use in only the most extreme circumstances.
However we have seen a very considerable drop
in the use of seclusion overall. As the Safe &
Positive policy rolls out who knows where it can
take us in the future.
Thanks to people sharing painful
experiences
We, in Derbyshire, continue to face enormous
challenges caused by funding deficits and the
effects of the plethora of legal highs available on
our streets. We will not deny that the journey so
far has been very slow and frustrating at times
but we have crossed an important line in relation
to seclusion. That has only been possible
because some extremely brave people have
shared their own very painful experiences
including past life traumas which had been re-
triggered by the use of seclusion and restraint.
Our admiration and grateful thanks goes to them.
Niki Glazier, Co-ordinator,
Mental Health Action Group (Derbyshire)
Affiliated to Derbyshire Mind
Working to get it right
As a nurse and a health professional when
I hear that seclusion is in use I have very mixed
reactions. Restrictive practices, both restraint and
seclusion, do not sit comfortably with many staff
who work in mental health. I often think that at
a point in the future we will look back at our
care provision and be ashamed; I am sometimes
now, I am continually very torn. How can it be
therapeutic to place a person in a locked room on
their own? I am not alone in these thoughts in my
organisation. We want to dramatically reduce the
use of seclusion and restrictive practices. One
day I hope we will get to a place that seclusion
is not used and that everyone who leaves our
wards and bed-less services says ‘you got it
Restraint in mental health services: What the guidance says 25