Governance

Establishing governance structures that reflect the collaborative relationships with people with lived experience of mental health issues and caring, families and kinship groups, can help to identify opportunities for improvement and co-design innovations.

In practice

• Attending mental health units in a timely fashion during or directly after seclusion events to ensure staff, people with lived experience of mental health issues and caring, families and kinship groups are supported and debriefing occurs.
• Embracing co-design principles and strategies, and develop a mandate to ensure all staff understand and adhere to an overall philosophy of partnership in care and services.
• Supporting the administration of Consumer Carer Councils to advocate for the rights of consumers and carers.
• Strengthening the principles and practical strategies for collaboration with people with lived experience of mental health, particularly at the individual level (such as personal plans to prevent the use of restrictive practices).