The 2001 Mental Health Act authorises the MHC to make rules and codes of practice to guide mental health services to uphold standards of care. This information is also available to service users in an accessible format.
Before you read on it is important to note that rules are law and must be followed by staff who are giving you care and treatment. A code of practice is a guide to the best way of doing things.
Click on the link if you are looking for the Revised Rules Governing the use of Mechanical Means of Bodily Restraint and/or the Revised Rules Governing the Use of Seclusion (both of which came into force on 1 January 2023).
Click on the link if you are looking for the Revised Code of Practice Governing the use of Physical Restraint (which came into force on 1 January 2023), please click here.
Admission, Transfer and Discharge
The MHC published a code of practice in 2010 on the admission, transfer and discharge to and from an approved centre. This code outlines good practices that services should follow when admitting, transferring or discharging a service user.
We also produced a guide to provide service users, carers and advocates with an overview of what the code says.
- Code of practice on admission, transfer and discharge to and from an approved centre
- Plain English guide
ECT, Seclusion and Restraint
We also developed rules and codes of practice on the use of electro convulsive therapy (ECT), and on the use of seclusion, mechanical restraint and physical restraint. These standards apply in approved centres.
Electro convulsive therapy (ECT)
To tell you more about what these rules and codes of practice say, we have produced the following information leaflets which are written in plain English:
Seclusion
The Mental Health Act, 2001 allows approved centres to use seclusion as long as they follow the rules made by the MHC. You can find out more about these rules below, as well as a plain English guide in which we aim to answer any questions you may have.
- Rules governing the use of seclusion and mechanical means of bodily restraint
- Plain English guide to Rules governing use of seclusion
Mechanical Restraint
The Mental Health Act, 2001 allows approved centres to use mechanical restraint as long as they follow rules made by the MHC. You can find out more about these rules below, as well as a plain English guide in which we aim to answer any questions you may have.
- Rules governing the use of seclusion and mechanical means of bodily restraint
- Plain English guide to Rules governing the use of mechanical restraint
Physical Restraint
The MHC has produced a code of practice on physical restraint that all care teams should follow if they decide to physically restrain a service users while they are receiving care and treatment in an approved centre. You can find out more about the code below, as well as a plain English guide in which we aim to answer any questions you may have.