54 npm annual report 2016 /observations and recommendations It was also pointed out to the staff that holding on to a customer for a short while, or for less than 15 minutes, in order to calm him or her down is also a restrictive measure. • Corrective action had been taken by the social welfare services of Satakunta Hospital District as a consequence of the amendments to the act on intellectual disabilities that entered into force on 10 June 2016. Training related to the contents of this legislation had been provided for the staff, and new written operating instructions had been issued. The documents related to decisions on restrictive measures and instructions for appealing had been updated. Supervision within the hospital district’s operating area has been intensified to ensure compliance with the new legislation. • In a unit providing housing services for persons with intellectual and severe disabilities (Maununnitty, Kouvola) and an institutional care unit for persons with intellectual disabilities (Tuulikello, Kouvola), records kept on restrictive measures were very limited. Both commonly locked residents up in their rooms for the night (for up to 12 hours) as a restrictive measure. No separate decision that could be appealed had been made on locking the doors. During the visit, it was pointed out to the staff in both units that the residents’ legal protection may be compromised by inadequate records and lack of decisions. • Two wards of a unit providing institutional care for persons with intellectual disabilities (Kuusanmäki, Kajaani) had not, as late as in December 2016, started applying the amended provisions of the act on intellectual disabilities that entered into force in June 2016, and no decisions on restrictive measures had been made in the wards. For this reason, the residents lacked the possibility referred to in section 21 of the Constitution to have their cases dealt with appropriately by a legally competent court of law. The Ombudsman decided to investigate this matter separately on his own initiative. • In acute situations, residents in a housing unit for persons with severe disabilities (Maununniitty, Kouvola) could only obtain assistance by shouting. The Ombudsman pointed out that the residents should always be able to contact the staff also by other methods.