National Preventive Mechanism XX The NPM recommends “house parliaments”, children’s teams or children’s representatives as mechanisms to guarantee the participation of the children and adolescents within the framework of institutionalised care and to live this in practice. XX Minutes must be taken in these meetings and decisions taken must be implemented. 5.3.6 Centre for eating disorders with questionable treatment methods On several unannounced visits to a therapy centre for patients with eating disorders in Carinthia Commission 3 identified serious deficits. Consequently, the NPM contacted the Land Carinthia as supervisory authority and the Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs. What is especially sensitive from a human rights perspective are mixed roles arising from the fact that the head of the centre and her deputy provide the socio-pedagogical care themselves and offer psychotherapies as well. NPM succeeds in enforcing examination by experts Since forms for a therapy contract are handed out when signing the admission contract, there is no possibility for minors to select their own therapists. Therapy sessions are fixed without a previous therapy plan. It is therefore not clear when a care service is provided or a therapy session offered. It was also noted that the head of the centre concluded treatment contracts for chargeable therapy sessions with herself so to speak, as she was not only responsible for the care and education of some of the adolescents in care but was also in charge of their custody. During their visits, Commission 3 observed the complete absence of any professional distance, which encourages emotional entanglement in minors and violates the professional codex for psychotherapists. Daily exercises with direct bodily contact, in which pubescent adolescents have to lay their head on the breast of the female carer and are offered baby bottles and soothers in regressive phases, were viewed as highly critical by Commission 3. The regional government of Carinthia announced immediate measures in relation to several points of criticism in 2015, whereas an expert opinion was commissioned to clarify other issues. During a follow-up visit by Commission 3 in May 2016, it was found that the care situation for the residents was virtually unchanged and hardly any improvements could be observed. The Commission’s observations were recently directed to the regional government and the Federal Ministry of Health and Women’s Affairs, and the rectification of the deficits was demanded. 147