Face-down restraint continuing in NHS mental health wards

Face down restraint is completely banned within residential social care, indeed this is where many of the NHS patients come after their stay in hospital. Some sadly even lie down on the floor when they think they have done something wrong waiting to have their arms and legs tied, some have had their arms bandaged onto chairs. How do we deal with it, surprisingly well actually, even in very challenging circumstances. We still carry out restraints, two people will hold a persons arms and walk them to a chair and lower them in, then let go. If that doesn't work and environmental damage is occurring we leave the room and observe. If a person is in danger of hurting themselves or another, the chair restraint, or walking version of the same will be carried out again. It is tough at the beginning but nearly everyone begins to settle and once they develop relationships and trust the staff, we find that naturally their challenge becomes less. It is about allowing people to trust that you won't harm them, trust that they will be listened to, developing a life that is their choice, creating a space that is personalisd for them, removing sensory stimulus that irritates and annoys them. Planning, planning and planning - what might they do, when do you think they will, what is likely to create etc. and where possible removing those situations. We develop choice through speech, visuals including iPads where for the first time a person may choose where they want to go and who they want to go with. Of course most of these people are also on medication and this is reviewed regularly. Generally I have to say we reduce medication over time and reduce the need for physical restraint massively. Nobody is blamed for their behaviour, it is understood that they are not in control at that time, there are no punitive retaliations, we move on and concentrate on the positive. We reflect on what happened and revise plans. It doesn't always work but it has in nearly every case I have been involved with.

Thanks, you made me smile. What I have discovered over the years is that I am the 'family support', for my sisters,  my parents, my grandmother (before she died), for my friends and of course for my children. I guess that's the way I am made and I can't change it now. Should you ever need us we (people like me)are out here fighting for the vulnerable and supporting them in living their lives to the full. We do it well, we really take pride in it and love the people we support.