New supporting information for inspectors and Mental Health Act reviewers addresses the risk factors of closed environments | Care Quality C

When a service has a closed culture, people are more at risk of abuse and human rights breaches. The supporting information includes risk factors and warning signs of closed cultures in health and social care settings and how inspectors and their managers should consider and respond to these.

Closed environments may develop in services where people are situated away from their communities, where people stay for months or years at a time, where there is weak management of these services and where staff often lack the right skills, training or experience to support people.

CQC are paying particular attention to services that provide care for people with a learning disability and or autism, but the information relates to services in any sector.