41 Visits in 2017 not routinely given to patients. New templates for administrative decisions pursuant to the legal amendments made in 2017 appeared, however, to ensure that the grounds were also given to the patients, as the grounds are now included in the decision itself. The unit had a relatively low prevalence of the use of mechanical restraints, and had focused in recent years on preventing their use. Findings made during the visit indicated that the employees received training and refresher training in ensuring that restraints were used in the safest and gentlest way possible. The mental health professional responsible for administrative decisions performed evaluations with patients after restraints were used. There were also examples of patients sleeping in restraints, and it emerged that mobile restraints had previously been used when patients went outdoors to smoke if they were considered to pose an escape risk. Many patients had experience of being segregated, and segregation was perceived by the patients as the primary coercive measure in use at the unit. Findings indicated that segregation was often of a short duration, sometimes for just a few hours or 1–2 days in other cases. Segregation appeared to be carried out in a flexible manner, and the staff were aware that it may have harmful effects on or distress the patient. Some of the patients in the ordinary parts of the units could be subject to ‘agreements’ that required them to spend long periods in their rooms during the course of the day. It varied whether a segregation decision had been made when such day plans were used, although the patients felt they had little say in these ‘agreements’. In some cases, the patients were alone in the segregation unit, while the staff sat outside a closed glass door in the ordinary section beside one of the high-risk units. At the psychosis unit, segregation was primarily carried out in the patients’ own rooms rather than using the segregation unit, as it was regarded as being unsuitable for longer stays. Segregation in patients’ own rooms at the psychosis unit could entail patients spending long periods of time in their rooms, without contact with the staff. There has been an increase in the number of administrative decisions concerning forced medication at the unit in the past year. The extent to which the patients felt that they had received sufficient information about the effects and possible side-effects of the medication varied. Administrative decisions concerning forced medication contained very thorough grounds, but the actual conditions on which the intervention was based were not well-enough or specifically described in many of the decisions. New templates for administrative decisions pursuant to the legal amendments in 2017 ensured this was addressed to a greater extent. Findings made during the visit indicated that visit control was occasionally practised through employees being present in the visit room, without consideration being given to whether the strict conditions for such control pursuant to Section 4-5 of the Mental Health Care Act were met. Some patients also described how they were not allowed visits from various people, again without administrative decisions being made. Child welfare institutions Hedmark youth and family centre, unit Vien 4-25 10–11 May 2017 Vien 4-25 is one of three emergency units at Hedmark youth and family centre. The unit admits adolescents aged between 13 and 18 and is approved for the placement of three adolescents under the Norwegian Child Welfare Act Sections 4-25. Vien 4-25 is a closed unit. This means that the doors are locked and leaving the unit is only permitted by agreement with the staff. Main findings The unit appeared to limit the use of body searches. In addition, the unit had prepared new procedures for body searches, which implied that the adolescents did not have to be completely naked, but could remove their clothing in two stages. This practice is in line with the CPT’s recommendations. In some cases, adolescents were excluded from the community rooms and the company of the other young people after admission. In one case