Year: 1998 Source: Nursing Standards, v.12, no.29, (April 8-14, 1998), p.25-26 SIEC No: 20020124

The usual professional approach to people who self-harm is to stop them. This article reports on a support unit established by the Gwynedd (Wales) Community Mental Health Trust where the aim is to empower patients to take control of their lives. The approach is based on the observation that prohibiting people from self-harming did not prevent them from doing so once they left the hospital. Clients & staff negotiate treatment objectives rather than fixed models of care being prescribed. Issues of accountability & evaluation are briefly mentioned.