"Unprofessional care"

Hello

I would like to apologise to you and your family for the poor experience you describe when your relative received care at the Becklin Centre and for any distress this caused during this time.

The Becklin Centre as an inpatient unit is one of the most restrictive places to deliver care by way of people not being able to stay in their own homes in the community. However, though we have safe systems in place to manage the safety and security of people and the building, it is not what is considered a secure unit. If an individual requires secure facilities at the point of admission this will have been considered in a thorough risk assessment to ensure a person is placed in the most suitable environment for them.

All service users admitted to our inpatient facilities have a risk assessment completed. This describes both historical and current information which is then used to formulate the risk plan. In addition to the risk assessment, all service users also have a care and treatment plan completed by the service user and staff member together. This helps to inform care whilst an inpatient. There is a section in the care and treatment plan which directly discusses what to do if an individual absconds from the ward. This is also completed in partnership with the service user wherever possible and a copy is either given to them or is made available for the service user throughout their hospital stay.

We do expect our staff to have knowledge of all service users whereabouts when they are with us and this is in accordance with our observation and engagement procedure. Sometimes there are occasions when a service user cannot be located or doesn't return at an agreed time when they are given authorised hospital leave. This is when the allocated worker (staff member) would need to refer to the treatment plan to help inform how to manage the situation for that person.

Families and carers are a really important part of ensuring that service users are kept safe and if the poor attitude of staff made a difficult situation even more so then this isn't acceptable. It is my expectation that every effort is made to support family members.

I would be happy ask the Matron of this service to look into this concern more for you if that would help and if you agree. It will also help us to identify any learning from your experience that will help us to improve practice. If you would like this to happen, please contact our PALS service on 0800 052 5790 or palslypft@nhs.net

With kind regards