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Influencing and challenging service providers & policy makers
A watchdog or a guide dog?
The Commission is often described as a mental health 'watchdog'. It is true that we look into situations where something has gone wrong in mental health and learning disability services, but we also work to improve policy to help safeguard people and prevent things going wrong.
In our watchdog role, we draw attention to mistakes and ask people to learn from them. In our 'guide dog' role, we use our unique overview of mental health and learning disability services to help Scottish Ministers and service managers shape policy. This way we aim to help develop services in ways that safeguard rights and improve care and treatment for people with a mental illness or learning disability.
