South Western Sydney Local Health District's (SWSLHD) Mental Health Service implemented a district-wide Therapeutic Practice Strategy to reduce the use of seclusion in mental health inpatient units and improve patient safety.
Seclusion is the most restrictive intervention used in mental health inpatient care and is only used as a last resort when there is an immediate risk to the safety of consumers, staff or others. Recognising the physical and psychological harm associated with seclusion, SWSLHD introduced the strategy across 15 inpatient units to reduce restrictive practices and improve patient safety. Developed in partnership with multidisciplinary staff, the strategy introduced improvements to the care environment, enabled consumer access to mobile devices where clinically appropriate, co-designed therapeutic activities, delivered staff education and de-escalation training, provided reflective practice and strengthened governance through review of seclusion data and incidents.
The strategy has delivered ongoing improvements, including a 28% reduction in seclusion incidents between 2023-24 and 2024-25. It demonstrates a scalable patient safety model that reduces harm while improving consumer experience and therapeutic care.
