Safewards is a series of methods and approaches used in mental health trusts across the NHS. These evidence-based interventions have been proven to reduce instances of conflict and containment and make wards safer places for service users, their carers/supporters, and staff.
As part of our improvement plans for 2023, we want to implement and embed the Safewards model across our Trust. We have been running a six-month supporting programme to help our colleagues embed these methods and approaches across each of their wards.
In addition to bespoke support provided by the Safewards project team, each month, representatives from all of our wards are also invited to attend a monthly in-person event, to learn more about the Safewards model as well as share learning with each other and work together to overcome challenges.
For more information please contact Sophie Bagge: sophie.bagge@nsft.nhs.uk or 07785693984.
Below we highlight some of the key points from our meetings so far:
This event was presented and facilitated by a broad range of staff of differing experience and backgrounds as well by individuals with lived experience to ensure all perspectives and personal experiences were considered. 
Some of the main topics covered were:
The importance of working in collaboration with service users, their families and carers in the process of embedding the ten key Safewards interventions onto our wards was a primary focus of our second in-person Safewards session on Wednesday on 21 September 2023. 
Some of the main topics covered were:
This sessions primary focus was to make sure that our teams understood the importance of Safewards, by getting each attendee at the session to consider the treatment they'd want/expect for a loved one recieving care at one of our wards and how the Safewards standards would support these standards being met.
Some of the main topics covered included:
As NSFT’s trust-wide Safewards Collaborative has progressed, the Safewards project team has been developing the agenda for each of the monthly sessions by reflecting on the feedback and requests given by the attendees at the previous session.
The most recent feedback provided to the team stated a common obstacle was “getting the rest on the ward engaged with Safewards” and so, Session 4 of the Collaborative, focused on how to lead and motivate others.
Topics for session 4 included:
Being the last in-person session of 2023, it was the perfect opportunity to pause and reflect on what has been achieved by each of our participating wards so far. As such, in addition to the next cohort of wards sharing their progress since starting the Collaborative, a large portion of this session was dedicated to giving our wards the chance to share some of the qualitative evidence (posters, photos, artwork, surveys, stories, etc.) that they have gathered so far.
Topics of the session included:
As we have come to expect from our attendees, the discussion and idea generation during the session was truly excellent, and the passion and desire to always do what is best for those under our care was evident throughout.
This session included:
