Mr Dananni Lewis

Mr Lewis qualified as a Registered Mental Health Nurse in 2007, graduating from King’s College London, a globally recognised centre of excellence for psychiatric practice. Following his qualification, he embarked on an 18-year career defined by a commitment to high-acuity clinical practice and systemic leadership. In 2019, his expertise was formally recognised through his selection for the ‘Developing Leaders’ track at The King’s Fund, an elite programme associated with the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians.

Throughout his career, Mr Lewis has operated across the full spectrum of psychiatric services, including Adult Acute, Forensic, Older Adult, and Addiction services. He has held pivotal roles in Psychiatric Liaison and Crisis teams, where he gained extensive experience in the rapid assessment of complex psychiatric risk. This has also involved being an author of trust-level protocols regarding psychiatric observations and the prevention of ligature-related incidents.

Mr Lewis currently holds a senior practitioner role. In this capacity, he provides strategic oversight for multiple inpatient units, directing clinical governance and patient safety protocols. He is a lead investigator for Serious Incidents (SI), responsible for the forensic deconstruction of clinical failures and the implementation of remedial safety frameworks. His current practice is at the forefront of modern psychiatric standards, specifically regarding the reduction of restrictive practices and the management of inpatient suicide and self-harm risks.

Mr Lewis is a specialist in the forensic analysis of nursing liability and the deconstruction of systemic failures within high-acuity psychiatric settings. He possesses authoritative expertise in the application of the Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018 (Seni’s Law), providing expert opinion on the proportionality of physical interventions and systemic adherence to BILD ACT and RRN (Restraint Reduction Network) standards.

Furthermore, Mr Lewis is highly proficient in the application of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), focusing on ‘Best Interests’ decision-making and the balance between patient autonomy and the Duty of Care.

Mr Lewis is currently responsible for the strategic leadership and clinical oversight of a large multi-disciplinary workforce within acute psychiatric services. He is a lead investigator for Serious Incidents (SI), providing the Trust with forensic root-cause analysis and expert recommendations to mitigate future clinical and litigation risks. Mr Lewis is instrumental in the authoring and auditing of trust-wide policies, particularly regarding psychiatric observations and the governance of restrictive practices, ensuring that all frontline care delivery aligns with statutory requirements and best practice guidelines.

Mr Lewis is a specialist educator and the author of internal clinical competency frameworks regarding psychiatric risk and safety governance. He has designed and delivered advanced training to over 500 nursing professionals and multi-disciplinary staff, focusing on high-liability areas such as Inpatient Suicide Prevention, Ligature Risk Management, and Clinical Observations. He is frequently invited to supervise Band 6 and 7 clinicians in the deconstruction of complex clinical incidents, explicitly defining the standards of risk management and professional accountability required for modern psychiatric practice.