Child outside psychiatric hospital

[UndertheCedartree]

I was visiting my DBF at the psychiatric hospital he is in at the moment today. We sat out the front. There was a DC there the whole 2.5 hours I was there with his parents who were visiting another patient.

I thought it was a bit strange. The garden of the male acute ward borders this area and you sporadically hear a lot of swearing at people and shouting. The patients out the front can sometimes shout inappropriate things, there can be fights or aggressiveness as obviously some are very unwell. I personally don't think it's an appropriate environment for a child.

The thing is it's not like there is no where else to go. There is a family room (but would need to be booked) and a short walk away there is a park and a square with benches and cafes/shops. The area outside the hospital has a road for cars to access the reception and the car park too and the DC kept scootering into the road. I expect he was really bored.

What do you think? I can't think of any reason they stayed there.

I just want to make really, really clear that I am not suggesting all people with mental illness are violent. I'm just talking about a very specific male acute ward where some of the patients are due to be very unwell. Most people with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence

Unfortunately the post didn’t link Redbone post that I was replying to

Wow I really can’t believe that some of you are so callous to tell the OP to mind her own business! A psychiatric hospital is no place for a young child to be and this is a real safeguarding issue.

i havent been arguing with you I have been trying to clear up things that don’t make sense.
and yes inconsistencies from you which I copied on posted on replies as they came up.

If you want to accuse someone of making things up I suggest you check your mirror

If others think I’m harsh I suggest going back and properly read all the ops posts not just skim.

I wasn't accusing you of making things up. (What does check your mirror mean? What mirror?) It just felt like you were arguing with me but fair enough if you just didn't understand and wanted to clear it up.

You have quoted things like me saying 'grounds leave only is always escorted' and said I was saying 'off ground leave is always escorted' which you can see in black and white I didn't say. You also say I said 'main road' when I just said 'road'. Anyway, I hope I've cleared everything up now.

Not your circus,
Not your monkeys.

??

It's all dealt with now the staff have let them know other places they could go.

I'm just rereading and maybe this is confusing @ihatethefuckingmuffin

You said the ward would know the DC was there because you have to be let onto the grounds and then they keep an eye on you.

So when I said you don't have to be let onto the grounds, I was refering to the family, that they could just enter the grounds.

@Staynow I find your post offensive.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare my experience of visiting my mum in hospital to saying ‘I was smacked and I was fine’.
That is comparing my dad taking me to visit my unwell mum with my parents abusing me.
Also, I never said I was ‘fine’ but I am glad I went to see her as the alternative would have been worse.

Ditto.

Seems that a lot of posters use threads to vent irrational anger rather than to join a conversation. Isn’t it boring.

I never suggested that the DC shouldn't visit, though. The situation was about the DC being in an unsafe environment.

My partner is currently on a high dependency acute ward. I have to have prior approval to even take the children on site, in part because advance notice has to be given to all wards as some other patients are not allowed any contact with children, and therefore their leave has to be suspended while we are in the hospital grounds.

My mum was sectioned many times. I remember my first visit at around 4. The hospital was bloody terrifying tbh. It was much better when we were allowed to walk outside. My own children are the same age as I was when I found out she was very Ill and it sort of breaks my heart to think about the separation and what I must have thought at such a young age. I don’t see why you’ve had such a hard time for worrying about the child. More people should worry about the experience of children in that situation.

Wishing your family well 💐

Thank you so much. My youngest was 5 when I was sectioned - it was a tough time for her (and her brother.) She is having play therapy now to deal with it. I'm sorry you had to experience that too 💐