Story: Lisa Swift
Local mental health campaign group, MAAT Probe Group, hosted an event at the Vestry Hall on 26th March, to share all they had learned from their successful work to change Control and Restrain in mental health care to a more humane technique called RESPECT. The event was attended by service users, and mental health professionals and organisations.
Following the research and awareness raising done by user-led MAAT Probe group, Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust have changed they way they work with mental health patients. Kim Parker explained that all staff in the organisation have had RESPECT training, which helps staff to work with patients with challenging behaviour without using holds that that lead to pain and injury. She said,
“This has been a huge change in our organisation. We have seen a significant downward trend in the use of ‘seclusions’ (when patients are isolated due to aggressive behaviour). We are continuing the training with new and agency staff, so every member of our staff is trained in RESPECT.”
The emphasis of RESPECT is on de-escalation. Staff have been trained to have the skills to prevent a situation on the ward becoming violent and aggressive by talking to patients in a way that does not create a ‘them and us’ power relationship. There has been a change in culture in Sheffield psychiatric wards by adopting the RESPECT values.
Chairing the meeting, Paul Grey, from Inspire to Influence, said
“I believe in my lifetime we will see an end to restraint. And this approach will be disseminated to the whole country.”
One service user said,
“I’ve been in mental health services since I was 8 years old. I was restrained when I was 15 years old; I don’t want anyone else to experience that. I want to encourage everyone to keep progressing with this.”
Robin Cox from MAAT Probe Group, who are supported by SACMHA on Andover Street, said,
“We invited service users from Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds and Derby here today, they are the people who took part in the questionnaire that started off our campaign. We are now working with Mind to set up groups like ours in ours in other parts of > the country so they can get things to change too.
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