This fact sheet outlines the actions being undertaken by NSW Health to improve culture and leadership in mental health care following the Review of seclusion, restraint and observation of consumers with a mental illness in NSW Health facilities.
Following the ‘Review of seclusion, restraint and observation of consumers with a mental illness in NSW Health facilities’, we will implement the following recommendations.
To be involved, please contact your local health district.
International research has found that leadership is a feature of successful approaches to reduce seclusion and restraint. There is also an international focus on promoting a ‘patient safety culture’ and a ‘just culture’ in health.
In organisations with a just culture, staff report problems openly and honestly, and learn from mistakes. Organisations are held to account for systems issues. A just culture also holds managers and other staff accountable for establishing and following safe and high quality practices.
High-quality compassionate care needs a foundation of collective leadership. In collective leadership, staff at all levels take responsibility not just for their own job but for the success of the organisation. High performance needs collective leadership and cultures that enable teamwork, ongoing improvement and consumer engagement.
The NSW Health Leadership Framework, developed by the Health Education and Training Institute (HETI), recognises the need for collective and innovative approaches to leadership. It supports leadership at all levels throughout the system and emphasises that leadership is not solely the responsibility of positional ‘leaders’. This framework supports the leadership development approach required to prevent seclusion and restraint.