Constant visual observation, often abbreviated to "constant visual", is a term used in various Mental Health

Mental health

Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...

 Services, Prison

Prison

A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

s and Special Schools to describe the status of a prisoner or patient

Patient

A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....

who poses a threat to himself or a third party, and must therefore be kept under constant observation.

There are essentially two levels of constant visual observations. The highest level, employed only for those patients who are considered to be extremely high risk to either themselves or a third party, involves a care worker remaining within arms reach of the service user at all times. The second level involves only maintaining a constant watch on a patient, sometimes from a distance.

Constant visual observations have been criticised by many service user groups.