NEW REFORMS, known as Seni’s Law, have been introduced to protect mental health patients from unsafe restraint.

Seni’s Law is named after Olaseni ‘Seni’ Lewis, who was a 23-year-old black man from south London, who died after he was forcibly restrained by 11 Metropolitan Police officers at Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham, on 31 August 2010.

The new guidance aims to ensure patients in mental health settings are better protected from inappropriate use of force.

Aji Lewis, Seni’s mother said: “I want Seni here with me but they took him away. The police dangerously restrained him to death with mental health hospital staff watching on. The enactment of this law is important to us because we do not want anyone else to suffer like this.

“It’s so good to see the guidance published today and the Act being commenced. This is my son’s legacy, and I hope it will mean what happened to Seni will not happen to anyone else. I look forward to continuing to work with the government and mental health providers to make sure the Act is properly implemented and real change is achieved.” 

Multiple failures

In 2017, an inquest into Seni’s death unanimously condemned police and healthcare staff actions. The inquest found there were multiple failures at multiple levels within Bethlem Royal Hospital, which meant the hospital staff had to call upon the assistance of the police when he became unwell.

The level of force used by the police was described as “unreasonable, excessive and disproportionate, and contributed to Seni’s death.”

Seni Lewis died in tragic and avoidable circumstances. His legacy is this Act and the changes it makes to ensure people with mental ill health are treated with care, compassion and respect.

Steve Reed MP

The new legislation sets out clear advice to ensure NHS trusts comply with the law and will protect patients and those working in mental health units. The act will also provide a much-needed drive for improved record-keeping and reporting of data on the use of force and better quality of staff training.

It also sets out measures needed to both prevent the inappropriate use of force, and ensure accountability and transparency in mental health units, ensuring patients are treated with dignity and respect at all times

Distressing

Minister for Mental Health Gillian Keegan said: “It is vital anyone receiving care in a mental health setting – a time that can be incredibly distressing – is treated with dignity and respect. Today’s legislation and guidance is an important step forward to ending the disproportionate and inappropriate use of force – protecting both patients and our fantastic workforce – within our mental health services.

“We must ensure what happened to Seni does not happen to anyone else. I want to thank Seni’s family, particularly his mother Aji, and Steve Reed MP for driving this work forward.”

Steve Reed MP said: “I’m delighted the guidance for Seni’s Law has now been published and a date is in sight for the Act to come into force. Seni Lewis died in tragic and avoidable circumstances. His legacy is this Act and the changes it makes to ensure people with mental ill health are treated with care, compassion and respect.”

INQUEST is the only charity providing expertise on state related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians.

‘Vital step’

Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST, said: “This is a vital step forward for the safety of mental health patients. It would not have been possible without the commitment of the family of Seni Lewis.  

“High levels of restraint are routinely used behind the closed walls of secure settings, inflicting physical and psychological harms and risking lives. Disproportionately restraint is used against Black and racialised people, women and children, young people, and people with learning disabilities and autism. 

Scrutiny

“We hope the protections of this law and greater scrutiny and oversight will drive the cultural change and practice needed, end the abusive use of force and ensure those in crisis are treated with dignity and respect.
“This is not the end but the beginning. INQUEST are proud to have worked alongside Seni’s family and their MP Steve Reed. We will continue to work to ensure the guidance and changes arising from this law leave the best possible legacy.”

Seni’s Law received royal assent in November 2018 and has been developed following extensive engagement with the mental health sector and Seni’s family.