Social care centres disabilities in terms of access to psychiatric treatment and also infringe Article 2(1) (2) of the APMH which provides that persons with mental disorders are provided with multilateral and universally accessible health care and other forms of care and assistance necessary for living in a family and social environment. Additionally, according to the said regulation of § 6(2) (2) of the Ordinance on social care centres, there is currently no obligation to provide contact with a psychiatrist to residents of centres for the elderly and the chronically somatically ill, although – as NPM experts note – mental changes progressing over years, disorders of cognitive functions require consulting a psychiatrist or starting continuous treatment in their case as well. These reservations confirm observations made by the representatives of the NPM in the course of their visits. Difficulties in providing residents with psychiatric assistance were detected in the SCC in Tolkmicko and the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, Primate of the Millennium, SCC in Ostrołęka136. The SCC in Grójec organised paid psychiatric visits when necessary. Their cost was borne by the residents themselves. In turn, the problem of insufficient psychological care was observed in the SCC in Opole (ad hoc consultations carried out by a psychologist from a mental health clinic), the SCC in Psarskie (ad hoc consultations carried out by a volunteer psychologist), the SCC in Bielawki (a psychologist employed on a 1/3-time basis), the SCC in Ostrołęka (a psychologist employed under a civil law contract, providing services only in even-numbered quarters of the year), the SCC in Darskowo (visits to external psychologists initiated by the residents themselves) and the SCC in Tolkmicko (ad hoc consultations carried out by a psychologist employed under a civil law contract). The representatives of the NPM take the view that a SCC psychologist’s working time should be fixed so as to allow him/her to conduct both individual activities, i.e. in the form of support conversations or therapy, and group activities, e.g. in the form of cognitive or relaxation training. The scope of tasks of a psychologist cannot focus solely on clinical work or crisis intervention, but it must also take into account prevention which improves the quality of life of the centre’s residents. The representatives of the Mechanism believe that the constant presence of a psychologist would also help integrate the community of residents and could help encourage them to participate in activities offered by the establishment. 5) Installing a CCTV system in SCCs Two visited establishments137 are equipped with cameras which cover passageways, building entrances and the main gate. The current legal framework lacks provisions governing the CCTV surveillance of social care centres and works on draft assumptions of the Act on CCTV surveillance, which could regulate this matter, take longer than expected. These issues are discussed in more detail in Section: Right to health protection. SCCs in: Śrem, Gryfice. 136 137 53