Basic information on the national preventive mechanism Defender’s instruction. The employees include a group of lawyers from a special department within the Office as well as external consultants in other fields of expertise. The Defender most frequently co-operates with physicians and nurses, and often also with psychologists, social workers and special pedagogues. A clinical pharmacologist and a nutritional therapist helped working on special topics. The Office organises recruitment of experts ahead of a larger series of visits and is open to interest on the part of experts; the Defender entered into a special co-operation with the Czech Association of Nurses, the Czech Alzheimer Society and the Czech Society of Palliative Medicine. The employees of the Office have access to all the necessary training and internships focused on currently monitored issues. Their technical equipment includes a minibus and passenger cars for travel, accommodation, computers and cameras. They work according to special methodologies and use separate documentation. her findings that may include recommendations or proposals of remedies. If the Defender obtains findings that can be generalised, he or she releases a summary report. In the summary report, the Defender lays down systemic recommendations and proposals for prevention of ill-treatment, and sometimes also standards of good treatment that can also serve as guidelines to unvisited facilities. The Defender monitors compliance with the recommendations and discusses them with the facility that was visited, its founder or the relevant authorities. Members of the monitoring team have all the necessary authorisation to carry out visits: they have access to all facility premises at their request, may speak to anyone they wish in private and have access to all documentation, including medical files. Along with visits, the Defender and her team also pursue further activities to prevent ill-treatment: Publish selected summary reports in press and disseminate them. Comment on governmental bills. Work in advisory bodies. Co-operate with State inspection bodies. Raise awareness among professional public. Actively participate in the co-operation of national preventive mechanisms in Europe. After visiting a facility or after related visits to several facilities, the Defender compiles a report on his or If the Defender finds their response insufficient, he or she may inform the superior authority or, if no such authority exists, the Government; the Defender may also inform the public of his or her findings. The Defender publishes reports on individual visits (after the case has been closed) in the Defender’s Opinions Register (eso.ochrance.cz) and on the Internet. 35