My son is in residential placement. I’m quite happy with the placement.
However when I visited him today he has quite a few bruises that have concerned me.
L is non-verbal so I have to reply on staff and my inner Mum wisdom to find these things out.
Staff were able to tell me where some of them had come from but not all.
He has bruises on his arms which staff tell me are from him having to be restrained a few days ago.
L can turn quickly so I know that bit but to leave bruises?
I’ve emailed his SW with photos and a email of my concerns and questioning the force & pressure that staff are using to restrain.
SW isn’t back in the office til Monday and I’m not sure if I should wait too then or contact the emergency team?
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Hi @Amanda_1803, where are are the bruises on L? On arms and feet or elsewhere? Did they give you a reason for the restraints? To put your mind at rest, I would speak to the emergency team and see what they suggest as the sw might take a while to respond. So to save you going crazy speak to them.
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Thank you. Yes I know reason for restraint but couldn’t give me explanation for other bruises
I’ve just called EDT as it’s bothering me more and more. No answer at EDT so I’ve left a message asking for someone to return my call.
I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing. I know I’m over protective of L I always have been. I can’t help it.
Also I have a good relationship with all his staff. I really hope this doesn’t damage that but L is my priority.
The worse that will happen I suppose is that I get a bit of telling off from his SW.
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Hi Amanda,
I think that as you are concerned about the level of bruising on his arms and because he also has unexplained bruises elsewhere, you should consider contacting the safeguarding team.
I’d want more information too from the home i.e. to read the incident report of what led to the restraint, how long he was held for etc, who by and how often restraint is required.
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Hey @Amanda_1803, to add on to @Melly1 comment, do they do body charts in the place as it should be all recorded.
Yes they do body mapping but they couldn’t find any record of some of the bruising. He has marks on his neck which was the first thing I saw and it was recorded that he just woke up with it.
To be fair I was told about the challenging behaviour towards a staff member and a gentle arm hold. I was expecting to see bruising from it.
I’m not included in the body map records or behaviour charts.
If I request these and are denied them does anyone if I can legally challenge it?
I see no reason why they should not let have them. Unless it due to data protection. The safe guarding team, solicitors or sw can request them if you can’t get them. The one on his neck could be the medicine he is on? As some meds can cause bruising but that needs a doctor and blood test to do test.
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In Hampshire there is a special team looking at challenging behaviour, what triggers it, and how to change things for the better. They are supposed to be very successful. Are the staff in need of further training? If your son is non verbal, how does he communicate?
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Frankly, you’re not being “overprotective.” There is no reason at all why anyone should tell you off. Unexplained bruises and ones he “just woke up with” must be investigated, and it’s important to remember that nobody has bruises that “just appear” unless they are on tablets that cause blood thinning. Some anti-epilepsy drugs do that, for example, and make bruising much easier. But if he’s not on those meds, then further investigation is not only a good idea, it’s mandatory. There is absolutely no reason why there should be bruises on his neck as a result of sleeping. When did that bruising “just appear”? The day after being restrained, perhaps? If so, someone likely used a form of restraint that is not legal, and highly dangerous.
You might have noticed that I’m a bit suspicious…
Any residential facility may be absolutely brilliant - but it only takes one rotten apple. Far better to be safe than sorry - your son has a right to protection, and youv’e done exactly the right thing by reporting your concerns and sending photos. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
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If there was an innocent explanation to the bruises, a good manager would have told staff to keep an eye out for you and taken you straight to her office for an explanation before you saw your son. Did they think you wouldn’t notice?! I think you should tell CQC, just in case other parents have raised similar concerns too.
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Thank you all
L is on no medication at all.
EDT called me back this morning and I voiced my concerns.
EDT said they will speak to the duty SW and call me back today.
Something still isn’t sitting right with those bruises
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I am late to this, but if YOU have concerns and you don’t feel happy with the explanations then you have done exactly the right thing in raising it with EDT. If there is no problem then that’s fine, but if you didn’t check and something worse happened you would not forgive yourself - so don’t worry. After all you are not accusing anyone - just raising a concern, which is perfectly reasonable for anyone to do.
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Thank you so much @Chris_22081 you’re absolutely right
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