MONITORING PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTIONS • Include the perspective of former users in the NPM’s work (either as members of the team or as external experts); • adopt a sympathetic approach towards staff in the institution being visited and dedicate enough time to explain to them the aim of the visit so they can better understand NPMs’ mandate; • train and raise awareness of NPM members, to ensure they adequately respond to the specific needs of persons with mental disabilities and adopt an open and respectful attitude towards them during private interviews. The “do no harm” principle must be applied at all times. As highlighted by many NPMs present at the Symposium, their mandate is not limited to visits and to verifying material conditions – a well-intentioned approach but one that, in some cases, has contributed to the renewal or creation of new infrastructures that perpetuate long-term institutionalisation. NPMs’ function is, where appropriate, to challenge practices but also legislation and regulations – including by checking that all guarantees are in place to prevent arbitrary detention, and that individuals are duly informed of their rights. In the case of arbitrary detention, this function includes questioning the decision of deprivation of liberty itself. They must also evaluate the overall management and culture of the institution, identify the deep-rooted causes of ill-treatment and, through a constructive dialogue with the authorities, offer solutions to prevent new abuses. Finally, it is crucial for this monitoring to also include actions to raise awareness among users’ relatives but also within the society as a whole on the rights and needs of persons with mental disabilities, with a view to ending discriminatory practices and preventing their prolonged institutionalisation. 41