"The mixed level of care provided by staff"

I was placed in the Melville Unit which is a children’s and young people’s psychiatric unit. During my stay I encountered many staff members and have both a positive and negative experience with the ward staff. Many nurses took the time and effort to sit with me for hours talking and trying to make me laugh and encouraging me to get out to go and live my life.

However some nurses questioned my ability to think for myself and almost aimed to push me further down. Considering I went in voluntarily and have a right to be involved within my care I felt like my rights were taken away on this occasion as my reasonings for things (eg. Eating all of my meal) were questioned and many times I was asked questions that led me to doing things I had never of thought of (being asked if I was walking in place in the shower). I was denied the right to go home when I wanted as I was threatened that I would have been sectioned under the mental health act when in reality I just wanted to go and live my life like a normal teenager.

Some of the nurses of the Melville unit treated me and others also with mental health issues as though it was a choice to suffer and left patients begging staff to help people trying to cause harm to themselves. I felt like the patients knew more about mental health and how to support each other than some of the staff did which is concerning as the unit is supposed to be a place for people to get ‘professional’ help, not help from others also longing for the help they deserve. There was also a lot of miscommunication between staff. As I went to walk to get pens and got shouted at and told I was on a constant, (24hr constant supervision) when in reality I was not.

I understand that Melville is a secure children and young people’s unit however despite the colour of the walls and cheeriness of some of the staff, it felt like a prison and I was definitely treated like a prisoner. Where in reality psychiatric units should not only be a place to help stabilise mood/mental health and provide safety to individuals and communities but should also provide a warm and supportive environment for people to begin to understand how to move forward in life and encourage people to thrive and want to live to see their future.

I do want to thank the staff who massively helped me through such a dark period of my life and made me laugh on the hardest of days- I can only hope all the staff take a page from you guys book to improve Melville for everyone.