delh
02-12-2005, 12:50 PM
I was wondering how rigidly care homes / services are interpreting service users’ Right to Liberty (Article 5 of the Human Rights Act Oct 2000) and also avoiding False Imprisonment etc. in relation to locked doors in care homes.
I have found a couple of services being, in my view, a bit pedantic (and politically correct?) in sticking to this. I recently found carers at a service having to frequently use physical interventions to prevent autistic service users absconding and running into a busy road. These were guys that would not cope near traffic etc but staff felt that they had been told it was the person's right to come and go. Incredibly, doors were not even locked at night!
I am aware of one prosecution of a service manager who had not used a locked door policy, resulting in a service user getting hit by a car whilst running off.
This may be about balancing the risk of breaching someone’s rights, with the risk of harm to the individual and/or others.
I have managed several services with a locked front door, using individual risk assessment to look at who can be safe etc. Those that need help can, of course, still go out with appropriate supervision, and those that can manage safely are risk assessed to have front door keys. Obviously, such potentially “liberty restricting†decisions need the written agreement / support of a “multi disciplinary†team (i.e. everyone involved with the individual’s care & support) as suggested in the Care Standards.
In my experience, this has worked well and satisfied CSCI / CSIW requirements, whilst staying close to a common sense "domestic" situation.
I reckon its about individually appropriate approaches, as opposed to "blanket" methods.
What does everyone think?
Would people rather lock a door than use restraint?
What are staff working in community settings doing to manage such situations?
I have found a couple of services being, in my view, a bit pedantic (and politically correct?) in sticking to this. I recently found carers at a service having to frequently use physical interventions to prevent autistic service users absconding and running into a busy road. These were guys that would not cope near traffic etc but staff felt that they had been told it was the person's right to come and go. Incredibly, doors were not even locked at night!
I am aware of one prosecution of a service manager who had not used a locked door policy, resulting in a service user getting hit by a car whilst running off.
This may be about balancing the risk of breaching someone’s rights, with the risk of harm to the individual and/or others.
I have managed several services with a locked front door, using individual risk assessment to look at who can be safe etc. Those that need help can, of course, still go out with appropriate supervision, and those that can manage safely are risk assessed to have front door keys. Obviously, such potentially “liberty restricting†decisions need the written agreement / support of a “multi disciplinary†team (i.e. everyone involved with the individual’s care & support) as suggested in the Care Standards.
In my experience, this has worked well and satisfied CSCI / CSIW requirements, whilst staying close to a common sense "domestic" situation.
I reckon its about individually appropriate approaches, as opposed to "blanket" methods.
What does everyone think?
Would people rather lock a door than use restraint?
What are staff working in community settings doing to manage such situations?