Reducing restrictive practices

A highly respected and extremely motivated professional in the world of education and training, specifically surrounding the use of force within the healthcare industry, Palkesh Darbar Crawford specialises in child and adolescent mental health service environments (CAMHS). He is known for his dedication to ending the reliance on restrictive practices within the healthcare sector.

Palkesh provides consultancy and training at an international level and has contributed to the development of force reduction strategies within many services worldwide. Palkesh provided key information on the national issues surrounding the highly controversial subject of restraint during our design phase and provided expert input on how the initial concept of the Safety Pod could be developed and adapted to make it safe for use in a physical intervention. The design concept was developed from there, with the aim of enhancing safety and reducing injuries to both staff and patients during physical interventions.

Genevieve Crawford has many years of experience working with vulnerable children and young adults in children’s homes and low secure mental health settings, including an eating disorder unit within an NHS Foundation Trust.

This makes her passionate about improving safety in healthcare and education, and minimising the use of restrictive practices, so that the least force is used in any challenging situation.

She said: “While working in children’s homes across the North-east of England I set up a solo home to support children when they are leaving secure services to help them towards their goal of independent living.

“I have worked alongside parents, social workers, police, mental and physical health practitioners and educational providers to ensure best outcomes for these children and young people and to ensure that their safety was paramount in everything that we did.”

This experience fits in with UK Pods Ltd’s clear aims to encourage good practice and end reliance on force, improving practice and services wherever possible.

Genevieve also has experience as a mental health first aid practitioner and within the Princes’ Trust, teaching new skills and coping strategies to 13 to 25-year-olds, as well as working on a youth inclusion programme with young people and their families from deprived areas to prevent them becoming involved in antisocial behaviour and crime.

She also has a BA (hons) degree in Communication Design from the University of Portsmouth and has studied social work at Teesside University.

Sarah is a Communication Consultant with more than 15 years’ experience in Journalism and public relations. Her specialist interest in health and wellbeing has seen her work as health reporter for The Gazette on Teesside before moving into public relations for the NHS on Teesside. Sarah is particularly interested in mental health care as an expert by experience and strongly supports the ethos of UK Pods Ltd to enhance safety and reduce injury in clinical environments.