Kemple View, part of The Priory Group received an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The watchdog’s report highlighted the use of Safety Pods as a factor in promoting positive behavioural support.

The statistics above show staggering results, not only in terms of the reduction in restraints since Safety Pods were introduced in 2018, but also in terms of injuries to both staff and patients and a reduction in staff time spent restraining individuals.

There was an 81% reduction in all ground restraints in 2018 compared to 2017 – and at the time of writing in October 2019 this has risen further to 88%.

Prone restraints, in which patients are restrained in a face down position on the floor, reduced by 82% in 2018 – and so far in 2019 there have been no prone restraints – a 100% reduction.

Restraints lasting 10 minutes or more reduced by 12% in 2018 compared to 2017 but this has risen dramatically in 2019 so far, to 76%.

Importantly, injuries to staff have reduced by 75% in 2018 and 2019 so far, while injuries to patients reduced by 66% in 2018 – with no injuries to patients at all so far in 2019. So it is little wonder that patients have reported “better satisfaction” following the introduction of the Safety Pods™.

Kemple View is an independent hospital in Langho, near Blackburn, Lancashire. The hospital provides services for 90 men with mental health needs. Care and treatment is provided in four low secure wards and two rehabilitation wards.

The use of Safety Pods  at Kemple View was raised in the CQC report’s discussion of the use of feedback from patients to inform positive behaviour support plans and improve practice. The report states how Kemple View had invested in Safety Pods, describing them as “specially designed bean bags that maintained the body angle at 135 degrees, which optimised chest expansion and lung function, and minimised head trauma during restraint”.

Staff at Kemple View had been trained to use Safety Pods as part of prevention and management of violence and aggression training. Trainers had been trained in their use and the safety rationale, and had annual trainer refresher courses, plus access to video sessions to refresh their learning.

The report stated that “the bean bags were easy to move so staff could manoeuvre the bean bag to the patient rather than having to move the patient”. It was stated that this “reduced the likelihood of injury to both staff and patients and reduced moving and handling issues”.

The introduction of Safety Pods at Kemple View had resulted in reductions in the use of prone restraint. There was just one incident in 2018 and there were no incidents of prone restraint recorded in 2019. Patients reported better satisfaction following the introduction of the Safety Pods™.

Kemple View staff told CQC inspectors how using the Safety Pod had been effective in the second of two incidences of seclusion involving the same patient, reducing the time of restraint and the use of prone restraint.

The report states: “In the first incident, prolonged restraint and attempts to leave the seclusion room lasted for almost two hours, with prone restraint being required along with rapid tranquilisation. In the second incident, when the Safety Pod was used, staff were able to exit immediately and no prone restraint or rapid tranquilisation was needed. The multi-disciplinary team seclusion review stated that the patient appeared much calmer and reported no injuries or physical distress.”

This demonstrates the potential of the Safety Pod to improve safety and dignity for both staff and patients on wards like these at Kemple View.