Restraint Reduction Network
Professor Chris Hatton is an academic attached to Manchester Metropolitan University, who for 30 years has focused on people with intellectual/learning disabilities, and on documenting the inequalities experienced and policies designed to reduce them.
Outside of his formal role he blogs on the same topic, and his latest research blog post is particularly thought provoking: “Restraints used on people with learning disabilities and autistic people in inpatient units through COVID-19 – an update”. View his latest blog post here>
It follows up on an earlier blog post in July, which pointed out that official statistics on ‘restrictive interventions’ (restraints) seriously underestimate the true picture, because many independent sector inpatient services do not report into the MHSDS data set where restraints are recorded.
In his latest blog he provides graphic representations of the ongoing increase in the use of restrictive practices, and concludes: “I find these sharp increases in all sorts of heavy-duty restraints [during lockdown]… really, really worrying. Whether you’re subject to these restraints yourself in an inpatient unit, or spending time in an inpatient unit where these restraints are being frequently used on people around you, it can’t feel like you’re in a place that is therapeutic and helping you to better physical and mental health.”
Read Chris Hatton’s full blog post here>
