Evaluation of the HOPE(S) Programme to end long-term segregation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the National HOPE(S) Programme to end long-term segregation (LTS) for all children and young people, autistic people and/or people with learning disability in inpatient hospital settings.
IRAS ID
319279
Contact name
Alina Haines-Delmont
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Concerns have been raised about the use of long-term segregation (LTS) in inpatient mental health settings, particularly for autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities. In some cases, people are being locked in seclusion rooms for too long (sometimes for months and years at a time), with little access to outside space and a lack of basic necessities such as toilet roll.
To address these concerns, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust have designed HOPE(S), which is an NHS programme aiming to reduce the use of LTS and restrictive practices such as restraint and seclusion in children and young people, autistic people and/or people with learning disabilities in inpatient hospital settings across England.
The programme is being evaluated by an experienced research team from the Department of Nursing at Manchester Metropolitan University. The evaluation will be completely independent of the NHS and will measure how the project works and achieves its goals.
We will do this by looking at changes in the use of restrictive practices, quality of life, and other health outcomes following the introduction of HOPE(S). We will also interview up to 10 family members who care (or have cared) for somebody in long-term segregation and up to 30 professionals with experience of the HOPE(S) programme or working with somebody that has been identified by HOPE(S) as a case for concern. We will then conduct up to 6 focus groups with family members/carers of people in LTS, professionals and people with experience of LTS. Once we have the findings, we will bring everyone together to agree on some key recommendations of how to improve practice. The evaluation results are expected by the end of December 2024.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
23/SS/0044
Date of REC Opinion
10 May 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion