We conducted an inspection about seclusion at Littlemore Mental Health Centre. This unannounced inspection was led by Mental Health Act commissioners. We spoke with four patients and three support workers about their views on seclusion. We looked at records relating to the seclusion of patients, and at the safety and suitability of the premises.

Patients we spoke with told us that they understood the reason for their seclusion, but did not always agree it was the most appropriate action. One patient told us, "If you've done something serious, I can understand it (seclusion). It's not pleasant; I think there are better ways to do things". One patient talked about their experience of being secluded.

We saw fixtures and items that could be used to cause harm; this included a window handle and access to loose objects which could be thrown. The ward manager informed us that these concerns had been highlighted as a 'red' concern and were a priority to be dealt with by senior management. The management had completed a risk assessment for all areas and had control measures in place. This included securing the room and monitoring patients when the room was used.

We found that there was no system for ensuring that staff could easily find the most relevant and up to date care plans for patients, or the time that patients have been in seclusion for. This meant that lessons learnt from previous seclusions were not documented.