Service user representatives help to improve the safety of inpatients in 24 wards across the East Midlands
People with lived experience of inpatient mental health services have been integral to a new national Mental Health Safety Improvement Programme being delivered by the East Midlands Patient Safety Collaborative (EMPSC).
The programme helps mental health services to take on board feedback and experiences of service users, with a focus on the use of restrictive practice, suicide and self- harm in inpatient mental health services, along with sexual safety of patients and staff.
Around a quarter of people who take their own lives are in contact with mental health services at the time of their death. Nationally, the Care Quality Commission has raised concerns that high numbers of people continue to be restrained and are subject to restrictive practice, while poorly managed sexually safety has led to devastating effects on the lives of individuals and their families.
We recruited six representatives to shape our work. As people with lived experience, they brought a unique perspective, which challenged and enriched our approach. Special attention was given to creating a shared culture, where service users’ opinions are equally valued, and where the balance of power and decisions are shared to produce the best output.
An Equality Impact Analysis was completed to ensure the programme would not negatively impact protected groups. This was independently scrutinised by a panel of service users with different protected characteristics, who have received training to critically comment on equality impact.
The project has also helped service users to bring new things to the table, in areas such as smoking restrictions and the use of section 136 of the Mental Health Act (which allows police to take people to and keep them in a place of safety).
