Safe & secure guidelines

Destravis were engaged to co-develop a Framework for Safe and Secure Environments in the health sector.

The Framework was developed to assist service and capital planners and operational staff to better understand and describe the safety and security aspects associated with a proposed new or revised service model and the associated infrastructure.

All therapeutic environments require some degree of security. While the settings and design elements may differ across a treatment continuum, the objectives for safety, efficiency, satisfaction, and high quality service remain constant.

The document provides a framework for assessing and describing the extent of security required through implementing specific management processes, the built environment and through therapeutic relationships in a broad range of service delivery settings. This is relevant for services located in the community to acute settings with consideration given to the level of risk and relevant supporting policies and legislation.

Historically, facility planning and design of a secure therapeutic environment focused on physical safety elements informed by infrastructure design guidelines. The framework provides advice on specific design elements that reduce the risk of self-harm and harm to others in specific environments e.g. medium secure mental health inpatient units. It is increasingly apparent that a safe environment is required in all therapeutic settings and for all users, utilising a more comprehensive approach to create a secure environment.