npm annual report 2016 / observations and recommendations • In a unit providing institutional care for persons with intellectual disabilities (Tuulikello, Kouvola) not all residents had the possibility of using the toilet at night. In this old property, the rooms did not have en-suite toilets, and a portable toilet was used instead. The Ombudsman stressed that the possibility of residents, also those with challenging behaviours, to use the toilet at night and to easily contact the night staff must be safeguarded. • A unit providing institutional care for persons with intellectual disabilities (Tuulikello, Kouvola) had two secure rooms, one of which was in use at the time of the visit. The room had no furniture and no clock. The NPM were left unsure of how easily a person placed in the secure room could contact the staff. One entry in the records kept on restrictive measures noted that the person in question had urinated into a floor sewer. The Ombudsman drew attention to treating customers with dignity and good social welfare and health care. Persons placed in seclusion must have free access to a toilet. For this reason, too, a secluded person must have the possibility of contacting the staff without delay. During the visit the NPM discussed the possibility of placing clocks in the secure rooms, or in a place where the persons in the secure rooms can see them, allowing them to keep track of time. Comment: After the visit, the service manager reported that the secure rooms had been equipped with clocks. • In a unit providing institutional care for persons with intellectual disabilities (Tuulikello, Kouvola), a customer lived in what was previously the secure room, as a result of soiling the rooms with faeces. The room was monitored by recording CCTV system. The necessity for camera surveillance was discussed during the visit. The NPM pointed out that it should only be used when this is absolutely essential in order to protect the resident’s safety. The NPM also pointed out that the file description required under the Personal Data Act must be prepared when using a recording CCTV system. The NPM concidered that the room appeared very ascetic to be used for permanent residence. On a positive note, the resident also had access to other facilities in the immediate vicinity of the room. Comment: After the visit, the service manager reported that the camera’s recording capability had been disabled. 55