Section Two The second year – an overview In 2010–11, the second year of designation, the 18 members of the UK’s NPM continued to make regular visits to places of detention, monitoring the treatment of and conditions for detainees and making recommendations to the relevant authorities. The activities of the members and their key findings are described in Section 3 of this report and are organised by the type of detention visited. Throughout the year, members continued to build relationships with one another, increase their understanding of OPCAT and develop their identity as an NPM. Coming together In June 2010, members of the NPM met to discuss their roles and their recent activities and to plan future collective work. The meeting provided a forum for discussing the challenges that members face when visiting places of detention and for identifying emerging or common themes. Members recognised that resources for collective work were limited. HMIP only has funding for a part-time NPM coordinator and individual members face pressure on the resources they have available for monitoring and inspection activities. However, members suggested that, collectively, the NPM could become a repository of information and best practice on monitoring detention. This could include: • joint training on key issues • at least one workshop each year focusing on a particular theme – suggested themes included the mental health of detainees, the use of force and restraint, children deprived of their liberty across all types of detention, and the escorting of detainees to and from, and between, places of detention • sub-groups of the NPM undertaking joint work – groups could be based on the jurisdiction in which the members operate, or the type of detention visited. Members noted uncertainty about the definition of detention. It was agreed that members would discuss this further and consider, in particular, those who may not be held under any lawful order but may be deemed to be de facto detained. This could include, for example, elderly people living in care homes. 11

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