Posted 10 December 2021 - 09:59
Posted 10 December 2021 - 09:59
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Why 'Seni’s law' will help mental health units reduce dangers of restraint
New law identifies topics that must be included in mental health staff training and says police should wear body cameras when assisting staff
New law identifies topics that must be included in mental health staff training and says police should wear body cameras when assisting staff
The Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 is now part of law in England.
The act was created following a number of tragic incidents related to use of restraint, notably the death of Olaseni Lewis following police restraint at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in 2010.
Reduce the use of restraints in recent years
Known as ‘Seni’s law’, the act identifies explicitly the topics that must be included in mental health staff training programmes, requires an identified lead for each mental health organisation, mandates keeping detailed records of restraints, and states that police who assist staff in a mental health unit should wear a body camera, if reasonably practicable.
For nurses in those organisations that have been striving to learn from and reduce restraints in recent years, this may not make a huge difference in the short term, as having carefully focused training and good records to learn from has been a key part of improvement work for many already.
The creation of a national, legally enforced standard may, however, be useful in helping less progressive organisations get nearer to the standards of the best.
Continued overrepresentation of young black men detained under the Mental Health Act
The availability of detailed restraint data, which will include the protected characteristics of restrained service users, such as sex, race, sexual orientation and diagnosis, will enable a clearer picture of difference in practice between organisations, and may also promote change.
However, a note of caution: having clear data about a problem alone is not always enough to change practice, as evidenced by the continued overrepresentation of young black men among people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
It is, undoubtedly, sad that this act needed to be enacted in the first place, but nurses face incredibly difficult situations that may involve the use of restraint on a daily basis. We should welcome a law that at least appears to support best practice and continued learning.
Find out more
Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018