This study evaluates the implementation of Safewards on an assessment and treatment unit (ATU) for people with an intellectual disability. There are no previous studies evaluating this model in this context and previous research has focused largely on acute mental health services. The ‘Patient–Staff Conflict Shift Report’ was used at baseline for 1 month and 1 year later, after all the interventions had been implemented, to evaluate the impact of Safewards. Significant reductions were found in conflict and containment measures used within the service after the implementation of Safewards. Staff who led on the interventions were also asked to give feedback on their experiences, the challenges they faced and how they would like to move forward. Safewards was generally seen as a positive approach by the team. Limitations of this study are highlighted and suggestions for future research are made.

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These results have contributed to the evidence base that people with a learning disability are able to meaningfully engage in research and provide essential feedback on the services that they receive. No longer can people be excluded from individual psychological therapy or research just because of their label.

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