The Restraint Reduction Network has carried out a survey to discover if the Covid-19 lockdown has let to an increase in restrictive practices in health and social care services. The Network also wanted to know if people thought it was harder to balance safety and the best interests of people because of infection control at this time. The ... Read More »
Author Archives: Kelly Harrison
Guest blog: Swansea Bay Mental Health and Learning Disability Delivery Unit on why the Restraint Reduction Network Pledge is important to them
Written by Paula Hopes, Learning Disability Nurse Consultant for Swansea Bay Mental Health and Learning Disability Delivery Unit. As a delivery unit we have been working on a multi-faceted approach to reducing restrictive practice, we keenly anticipate the messages from Welsh Government which will come with the reducing restrictive practice framework when it is launched later this year and it ... Read More »
Towards Safer Services – Draft National Minimum Standards for Organisational Restraint Reduction Plans
Towards Safer Services are the Draft National Minimum Standards for Organisational Restraint Reduction Plans. The Standards aim to encourage services and clinicians to review practices and philosophies of person centred care and support in order to maximise the rights of everyone, including wellbeing and safety and to develop an organisational approach to reducing restrictive practices.These Standards were designed to provide ... Read More »
“Together we can get through this difficult period”- My experience of life in lock-down
Hi my name is Amy, I am 25 years old, living in the north east of England, after recently moving into the community after 11 years in inpatient mental health settings. My diagnosis is autism and I love to write, especially poetry. I also like long walks and being creative. Throughout the start of March there was a lot of ... Read More »
Team Beth – The Solution to Lock-down Blues
I am so proud to be parent to Bethany, an amazing 19 year-old whose story of inappropriate restraint and seclusion made national and international news headlines. I campaigned for 3 years to have Beth’s autism needs met in a way other than through long term segregation and seclusion in inpatient Mental Health units. Due to the horrific facts uncovered surrounding ... Read More »
“I have been conditioned to sit and wait” – my experience of life in lock-down
Hi, my name is John* and I am 39 years young. I spent nine years in psychiatric hospitals all around the country. I was diagnosed as being bipolar and started medication straight away. My hobbies include cycling, cribbage, chess, computers, Facebook, online games and eBay. I buy and sell online to earn some extra cash and I seem to do ... Read More »
“This isn’t the time to give in” – My experience of the COVID-19 lock-down
My name is Alexis Quinn and I am the author of ‘Unbroken’ – a best-selling book which details my time spent in various Mental Institutions as an autistic person. Prior to my detention I was considered a gifted academic, teacher, and former professional athlete. I now teach overseas in Africa. My detention came about when I entered a personal crisis. ... Read More »
Being Human Together: Coping with the Lived Experience of Fear During the Covid-19 Pandemic
For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Iris Benson, but please just call me Iris. For these past few years, I have worked with the NHS, as well as other private organisations and charities as what often gets called an ‘Expert by Experience’ or a ‘Person with Lived Experience’. Experience of what? you might ask. The ... Read More »
Comment on the potential impact of Covid-19
Clearly these are particularly difficult times for health, social care, and education services. There is a need to balance safety and risk with the maintenance of quality of life and wellbeing for vulnerable populations and the staff that support them. We would expect that all those committed to restraint reduction will continue to support people in advising the sector how ... Read More »
Our membership is changing
We are evolving the Restraint Reduction Network pledge to reflect the proactive and action-centred approach needed across sectors to see real, tangible change happen. It will demonstrate more clearly a commitment to shaping a global, least-restrictive culture and upholding human rights across sectors. This is because each individual and organisation member will now submit actions they commit to taking over ... Read More »