In this ‘in conversation’ with Dr Beverley Samways, we talk about the scoping review she has led on to review NHS restraint policies in relation to people with learning disabilities, in the context of Seni’s Law (the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018), explaining the motivation, the findings and the recommendations, to be found on the resources page for the project here.
Please note: during the podcast, Dr Samways discusses the context around the language of many of the policies when they refer to ‘patient violence’. This is not to affirm this language. The reports add more context to this and adopts the language of ‘patient distress’.
A very enjoyable presentation and raises a number of points and reflections as someone who has taken responsibility for policy development related to “Use of Force”. I also found that at times there were barriers (many unintentional) to getting aspects of this right. However, the importance of getting information out there and in ways in which people can connect with it is massively important when considering this also aligns with people’s rights!!!!!
Thank you.