SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED

These are other questions that young people asked us when we were making this toolkit

“What does confidentiality really mean?”

Your right to confidentiality should be respected.

Any limits to the confidentiality of what you say should be made clear to you.

Your right to privacy with your personal information is very important. You should be told who within the unit or organisation providing care for you will see your medical records. You do not have to agree to anyone else seeing it, even your parents or carers, though it may be helpful for them to know what is happening. You should always be asked if anyone else wants to see your medical information

Your information may only be shared with parents, carers or other people without your agreement if:

•   It is in the public interest

•   What you have said could be evidence of a major crime.

You should still always be asked first anyway.

You have a right to see medical information that is kept about you (unless your doctor thinks it would not be in your best interest) – this includes all your health records, other than any parts of the record that mention people who have not given their consent to you seeing the bits that mention them (Data Protection Act 1998)

Also:

•   The NHS says that what you tell medical staff should not be used improperly by them e.g. gossiped about or discussed carelessly in public places.

•   Your unit will also have its own confidentiality policy. You can ask for your own copy of this.

“Can I choose whether my care manager
is male or female?”

Sometimes it is possible to request this. If you feel that you have a good reason then it is important that you talk with someone about it as soon as possible.

“Can I be restrained against my will?”

Being physically restrained is never pleasant. Each unit has its own policy on how restraint can be used but usually it will say it can only be used on someone who is at risk of hurting themselves, others or serious damage to property.

Staff should always attempt to talk with you before using restraint. The force that they use should be the minimum necessary and they should also always talk with that person about what happened after they have been restrained and have calmed down. They should also check that anyone who witnessed the restraint is OK and whether they need support or ‘debriefing’.

Incidents where restraint is used should always be written up on your medical notes.

Your care manager will be happy to go through your unit’s restraint policy.

If you think that excessive force has been used in your or someone else’s restraint then you have a right to complain (Tool 10 - Your Right to Make a Complaint. Can help you do this) .

Physical force can only be used to keep people or property safe and must never be used as a means of punishment.

“Can people in units
be kept in locked rooms?”

Not usually. The only exceptions to this are if you have been detained under the Mental Health Act or another court order. If someone is seen to be at great risk to themselves or others on the Ward/Unit then they may be placed in seclusion (sometimes called a de-escalation suite) to keep themselves and others safe.  It should only be for a short period of time until that person calms down and is considered to be safe again. Your ward will have a policy and someone will go through it with you if you have any concerns about this.

This is not the same as being in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) where a person will receive a higher level of specialist care for a while.

Although the Unit itself will be secure people will not normally be confined to one room for any length of time.

Being placed in seclusion must never be used as a means of punishment.

If you have any other questions after reading about these, then your key worker will probably be the best person to answer them or to get the information for you.

Created by Advocacy in Somerset - Registered Charity No. 1093096

Initially funded by the Childrens Rights Alliance for England’s
Ready Steady Change Programme

Upgrade in 2008 funded by the National Institute for Mental Health in England
and the Department of Health

Copyright © Advocacy in Somerset Ltd 2009