The Special Social Welfare Institution (SVZ) Hrastovec held a ceremony to open new secure units on Wednesday, 24 September. Forty-eight residents from the castle building will move into the modernly furnished living facilities by the end of the year. Deputy Ombudsman Ivan Šelih, who is also the interim head of the Ombudsman institution and the head of the NPM, pointed out at the ceremony that the residents' relocation is a long-awaited and welcome move towards respecting the rights of the residents of the SVZ Hrastovec.

The Ombudsman, in his role as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), regularly visits psychiatric hospitals and social welfare institutions, including Hrastovec. "In the past, the NPM found that the employees of the institution in the secure wards of the castle building, through hard work, managed to create conditions in which the residents were happy, despite the unsuitable, medieval building. However, since the castle building was never intended for residential purposes, the move to the renovated premises was necessary and therefore the Ombudsman supports it," said Šelih. He also stressed that the move also follows the requirements of the Mental Health Act (ZDZdr), which states that every person has the right to protection in a social and residential environment that is as least restrictive as possible, taking into account their health status and the safety of others.

Deputy Ombudsman Šelih also announced that the Ombudsman will continue to monitor the conditions in the new wards in accordance with his mission and legal obligation, with the aim of ensuring that the living conditions and care for residents are as good as possible and to avoid any inappropriate behaviour.

The renovation project, supported by the Ministry for Solidarity-Based Future, involved the renovation of a space of more than 1,600 m². A great deal construction and technical work was carried out, including laying new flooring, updating the lighting, sanitary equipment, and emergency call system, installing video surveillance, arranging a secure courtyard, and more. In total, the institution acquired four secure units with 12 beds each, which means 48 new places. In addition, the unit in Lenart provides 40 beds for people with cognitive decline, so that SVZ Hrastovec now has a total of 88 beds in secure units.