National Preventive Mechanism Fourth Annual Report 2012–13 Member-specific developments We provide here a brief overview of notable developments in the management, functions and approaches of NPM members of relevance to their compliance with OPCAT. Full reports on NPM members’ specific activities, findings and recommendations can be found in their individual annual reports. Institutional developments The Care Inspectorate (CI) in Scotland moved to a national and specialist team structure to include teams for young people and criminal justice. The CI will be formally designated as a member of the NPM next year. In April 2012, the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) launched a new enforcement process, which included measures for expediting and escalating the process where urgent and/or serious failings are identified. This will strengthen CSSIW’s ability to identify and respond to concerns similar to those encountered in Mid Staffordshire health services, should they arise. CSSIW’s wideranging modernisation programme includes inspections of regulated services focusing on four quality themes, including ‘the quality of life’ which looks at rights, control and well-being. It also adopts the use of the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI), particularly in inspections where there are people with cognitive or communication difficulties. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) made significant changes to its executive and Boardlevel leadership, and started on a reorganisation of regulatory and monitoring activities. In October 2011, the Review of the Northern Ireland Prison Service by the Prison Reform Team (chaired by Dame Anne Owers) was published9, which made 40 recommendations for fundamental change to the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Since then, CJINI have continued to assess and report on progress to the Oversight Group chaired by the Minister for Justice. Progress has been made and a number of recommendations have been implemented, but some of the recommendations refer to longer-term issues and CJINI will continue to assess developments over time10. Monitoring mental health detention Work to help people receiving mental health and learning disability services know more about their rights, especially when being treated under compulsory powers, was taken forward by the MWCS and the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC), in partnership with the Scottish Government and others. This included a special focus on parents detained under mental health legislation. Though Scottish mental health law requires hospitals to mitigate the effects of detention on parent relations, MWCS found staff did not understand their responsibilities. As a result, MWCS made several recommendations on improving parent’s contact with their children. MWCS examined whether individuals with learning disabilities receiving intensive ongoing community support may be being deprived of liberty unlawfully or excessively and conducted research on the issue. They found little evidence of this and were able to report favourably on some very good care. 9 http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/ni-prison-service/nips-publications/independent-reports-reviews-nips/owers-review-of-thenorthern-ireland-prison-service.htm 10 Summaries of these reports can be found at: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/ni-prison-service/nips-prison-review-oversightgroup-reports.htm 16