We seem to be skidding along a narrow, rapidly changing, harrowing track these days. Randomly battered by various players/organisations kicking around. Some crappily and/or awkwardly trying to cover their backs.
On an everyday level the experience is a bit like that Wii goalie game that lobs the odd welly instead of a ball. It was a bit of a chuckle when we played it, a few years ago. Dragging LB into Wii world where he engaged on his own terms. [He was shit and didn’t care].
Now the welly to ball ratio is reversed. We get regular kicks in the face. And sometimes miss, or not fully acknowledge, the odd save.
Odd balls? There are some. There is going to be a review into all unexpected deaths in Sloven’s mental health/learning disability provision since 2011. And an independent investigation has been commissioned into what happened to LB. Outside of the focus on the unit. From ‘transition’ to the rest. (If there’s an obvious change to be made here, it’s bury ‘transition’ and ditch the nonsensical division at 18 between ‘adult’ and ‘child’ services…) But the broader investigation is a good development. Not in a ‘Serious Case Review (SCR)/learnings to be made’ way. But because there was/is so much, so wrong. It needs to be made visible.
In timely support of this, further analysis of the Learning Disability Census was published yesterday. One of those documents that makes you think what.the.fuck?
Just one stat;
56.1% of the 3250 inpatients reported in the census had experienced at least one of the following in the 3 months preceding the census date; self harm, seclusion, restraint, assault or accident.
Over half of patients experienced at least one of the above in three months??? How many people experience any of the above in 12 months?
In a life time?
How many people experience any of these in a hospital setting?
I had a phone conversation with someone yesterday who questioned the use of face down restraint at STATT. Apparently ‘supine’ doesn’t mean face down.
‘Oh.’ I said. ‘Doesn’t it?’
Brain screech.
Supine? Are we really differentiating between forms of restraint?
‘Er. Ok, I’ll check out what it actually was’… I said. Gulping. Remaining heart fragments lined up ready for another smashing.
Supine or prone. Face up, face down.
Yeah. As you’d expect. Bastards.
mydaftlife 
This isn’t meant to excuse it, but I think that figure you quoted may be typical for mental hospitals. I would have thought far more than half the young people I have met in young people’s units have experienced one or more of these in their setting. I’m not pointing this out to make it seem alright: the use of restraint on anyone young or vulnerable is particularly shocking.
Really sorry about these wellies. I hope this part of the game ends soon for you.
That doesn’t surprise me.. so wrong.
Is going back to 2011 far enough? – 3 years – only 156 odd weeks ? If they are to do an investigation I would have thought the last 5 years was a better start ? After all there can not have been that many deaths? Or could there have been more than we think?