Response to the Mental Welfare Commission and Healthcare Improvement Scotland report on the Melville Unit
Reflecting on the latest report from the Mental Welfare Commission and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the Melville Unit, our Chief Executive Fraser McKinlay said:
"The promise is clear that Scotland must strive to become a nation that does not restrain its children. This report from the Mental Welfare Commission and Healthcare Improvement Scotland shows that Scotland still has a long way to go before that is realised.
"The report describes deeply distressing practices towards children with complex mental health issues in a service intended to care for and treat them.
"There are significant issues relating to the restraint of children at the Melville Unit in Edinburgh. The joint inspection found lawful practice yet to be embedded; that there was no evidence of managerial oversight or action since previous recommendations, and that the practical application and safe use of proportionate restraint as a last resort was a significant issue.
"The issues raised link to wider problems across Scotland. As the report notes, there is currently no specific piece of legislation or Scottish guidance dealing with restraint, setting out what is lawful in a hospital and what is not.
"This is something The Promise Scotland, with others, has been pressing to change since the Independent Care Review concluded five years ago.
"The Scottish Government has now set out steps to put in place statutory guidance, mandatory reporting and recording and a designated monitoring authority for mental welfare relating to restraint. This must be in place across all settings including education and care as a matter of urgency.
"Alongside support and training for the workforce, this will help Scotland finally move decisively towards becoming a nation that no longer restrains its children."
About the author
Fraser McKinlay
Chief Executive
Fraser has been Chief Executive of The Promise Scotland since September 2022. Prior to that, he spent 16 years working for Audit Scotland, including ten years as Controller of Audit and Director of Performance Audit and Best Value.
Before joining Audit Scotland, Fraser was a public services consultant in Edinburgh and London. He specialised in leadership, change management, facilitation and process improvement.
Fraser is committed to systems change, focusing on how public money is spent more effectively to enable better lives for children, young people, care experienced adults, families, and communities.