1.3 VISITS TO PLACES OF DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY en during past visits) and 13 thematic visits (which focused on a certain topic selected in advance). Of 63 visits, 50 were conducted in the morning and 13 in the afternoon. For the first time, we also visited three locations where the Dolfka Boštjančič Education, Work and Care Centre from Draga pri Igu operates. Special education institutes or education, work and care centres are particularly intended for the implementation of institutional care for children and adolescents with moderate, severe or profound intellectual disabilities, who are placed therein on the basis of a decision issued by the education institute as per the expert opinion of a special board. During these visits, the NPM tried to establish whether the users’ rights to personal freedom were being restricted, or if restrictive measures were used against them, and what were their problems and concerns (if any) when being treated, and cared for, in the centre 10 for education, work and care. In comparison with 2018, we conducted somewhat fewer visits in 2019 as the number of members of the NPM unit was reduced by one person at the Ombudsman’s office (due to retirement). Furthermore, we only began visiting the locations of deprivation of liberty in March 2019 due to the selection of NGOs regarding the implementation of tasks and powers of the NPM. We also dedicated more time to cooperation in the working group of the Ministry of Health for the preparation of amendments to the Mental Health Act (ZDZdr), and comments and proposals to the drafted act on the treatment of juvenile offenders that would comprehensively and systemically regulate the treatment of juvenile offenders and transpose Directive (EU) 2016/800 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on procedural safeguards for children who are suspects or accused persons in criminal proceedings into the Slovenian legislation. We also submitted our comments to the draft Act on the Intervention for Children and Teenagers with Emotional and Conduct Disorders and Problems in Education, whose objective it is to establish a uniform systemic solution for the comprehensive treatment of children with emotional and behavioural disorders in residential treatment institutions for which several line ministries are responsible, and enable the formation of expert centres that would also offer children in kindergartens and schools preventive activities to provide them with prompt assistance and thus possible accommodation at a later time. 10 When this report was drafted (at the end of January 2020), the report on these visits was still in preparation and we thus did not provide findings determined during these visits or recommendations thereof in this annual report. 10 THE REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA ON IMPLEMENTING THE TASKS OF THE NPM