By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Primary School Teacher, Education Lecturer, Associate Dean and Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS
I’ve held back from commenting on the sad reports from the Skye House psychiatric unit for 11-18 year-olds, in Glasgow, but it’s clear that the media are in a sickening feeding frenzy on the reports by three teenagers, former patients, of abusive behaviour by staff there. No one else seems prepared to speak on behalf of the staff and the unit.
So, three teenagers reported abusive behaviour by nurses including mocking suicide attempts.
Skye House supports 24 patients and has been doing so for at least 12 years. I can see no opening date. In that time it will have treated hundreds of adolescents. I can see no statistics. In that time there seems to have been one suicide, in 2018.1
In 2019, the unit was inspected, unannounced, by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. They found:
Overall the feedback we received from young people was positive about their experience of care on the wards. Their feedback was that they felt safe and supported during their admission, and that staff were friendly and available to talk to when required. The atmosphere of the unit was welcoming and calm during our visit and staff were able to respond to our unannounced presence without evident difficulty.2
So, I’m not doubting the reports but I am doubting the extent to which they accurately or fairly represent the work of the unit.
Most of all, I am seriously questioning the ethical standards operating across journalism in Scotland.
Sources:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
‘Journalism…’
Wonder how the ‘journalists’ see their future, if indeed they can see past their own lust for nasty-digging.
LikeLike
If the media can find ONE case of abuse/poor service / incompetence in a Scottish Public Service , they then present this to the Public as being TYPICAL of that service . This is not journalism but fear mongering on an industrial scale .
STV News almost every evening indulges in this putrid reporting style – with ”exclusives” showcasing ONE person’s poor experience of the NHS , while ignoring the other 99.999% who had no problem .
What does this do for the morale of the staff ?
LikeLiked by 1 person