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Summer 2005

Mental Health Workers Take a Stand For Staff Safety & Client Welfare

It’s only a beep, but it means a safe working environment and peace of mind for staff, and an early intervention service for clients.

Properly designed duress systems, according to mental health staff at the Spencer Clinic, North West Regional Hospital, are something worth fighting for, and that's exactly what they have done.

After being forced to take industrial action to get this issue taken seriously, staff are now working with management to get a system that suits the service.

According to HACSU member, Peter Truman, proper duress alarms are vital for Acute Mental Health Services.

"When this facility was first built, duress alarms were installed but they weren't designed by people who know the services we undertake," Peter Truman said.

"When people are in an acute stage, you don't want to be walking around with bells, buzzers and sirens going off or bulky walkie talkies. That just makes things worse."

"You need an ability to raise an alarm early in the piece and discreetly before clients get to crisis stage."

"When an alarm is raised you need to be able to quickly locate the individual. Staff safety is the over-riding issue, but it is also in the client's interests that you can get the right intervention at the earliest stage."

"We want to be able to deal with impending aggression earlier."

"As staff we have collectively asserted our interests, implementing some bans, and have brought management around to realise that there are real issues here."

"There is now an understanding that the need is urgent because of the implications on staffing."

"Now it is a matter of meshing the technical capabilities with the clinical needs, although it has been a little frustrating trying to find the right solution."

HACSU congratulates members working in mental health for the stand they have taken and the resolve they have shown.