Call for stories: CLOSED CULTURES

Call for stories: CLOSED CULTURES We're gathering experiences of closed cultures in health and social care - share yours today.

Do you have experience of a “closed culture”? Have you been concerned about the welfare of a friend or family member in a health or social care service?

A “closed culture” is a poor culture in a service that increases the risk of harm. Closed cultures can occur in all sorts of settings - mental health hospitals, other hospitals, and social care services like care homes or supported living. Closed cultures often happen where people cannot speak up for themselves. These environments can lead to abuse and human rights breaches. People in closed cultures might experience things like being locked in or out of spaces, not being able to see friends or family, physical harm, or people controlling their choices or money. We want to gather stories from:

• people who have experienced closed cultures

• people who may be at risk of being in a closed culture

• family members, carers or friends who support people who have experienced a closed culture.

If this sounds like you, or someone you know, and you’d like to share your story, please fill in our survey. You can leave a written description of your story (anonymously if you’d like), or you can leave us your contact details if you’d like to share a longer, in-depth story via video or audio. We’ll also be holding a training session for those who would like to learn how to record the story of someone they support. Remember to leave your contact details on the form if you would like one of our team to get in touch to discuss your story. Please do forward this invitation to anyone you know who might have a closed cultures story to tell. Thank you!