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Some people with disabilities in the United Kingdom are tied down by staff in hospitals. This happens when the people with disabilities are upset or nervous. This is a bad method that hurts people with disabilities. A campaign is trying to stop this method. The campaign is asking staff in hospitals to talk to people with disabilities instead. Talking helps people with disabilities calm down when they are nervous. |
Although causing serious physical and psychological trauma, as well as delayed recovery, face down restraint is still used in the United Kingdom (UK) to constrain people with intellectual disabilities, mental health problem and autism, and not only as a last resort.
Therefore, the UK Department of Health has launched a new two-year campaign, Positive and Safe, aiming to end the use of face down-restraint in all health-care settings. Developed in partnership with Royal College of Nursing, Skills for Health and Skills for Care, the program also wishes to promote more positive care environments, and decrease the use of restrictive measures such as restraint or seclusion.
As part of the campaign, guidelines on Positive and Proactive Care, as well as on developing a Positive and Proactive Workforce, have been produced. The documents advocate for alternative approaches to restraint, such as positive behavioral support, as compassionate care and increased quality of life are proven to reduce the need for restrictions altogether. Staff that fail to follow the guidelines, and continue using face-down restraint could face criminal conviction.
