Care failings may have played a part in the death of a 13-year-old autistic boy.
Sammy Alban-Stanley and mum Patricia. Failures to support the family may have contributed to Sammy’s death
Failure to help family with care
Sammy Alban-Stanley, from Kent, died after falling from a harbour wall on 22 April 2020.
But at an inquest, coroner Catherine Wood ruled “it was possible, if not probable, that a failure to provide extra support contributed to Sammy’s death”.
Wood said there was a clear failure by Kent County Council (KCC) to help Sammy’s family with his care. They failed to provide help out of school.
Wood said Kent’s children with disabilities team at KCC had chosen not even to assess Sammy.
As a consequence, he was seen by social workers unfamiliar with services that could have been provided.
Vulnerable to high-risk behaviour
As well as autism, Sammy had Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The combined conditions made him vulnerable to high-risk behaviour.
He made multiple suicide attempts.
Wood also criticised the mental health service at North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT).
She said if information had been shared in a timely manner it is possible more support could have been offered.
And this may have made a difference to his high-risk episodes and death.
Forced to shield
Though his vulnerability meant he could have continued going to school during lockdown, Sammy was forced to shield because of his PWS.
Sammy’s mum Patricia Alban said that the break in his routine and the absence of extra support was increasingly destabilising.
Alban said: “I truly believe that a failure to provide us with adequate support led to Sammy’s death.”
Kent County Council spokesman Matt Dunkley said the authority had outlined to the coroner the “valuable lessons” it had learned and subsequent “improvements”.
The NELFT said it had taken a “number of actions” to improve services.
Related:
Published: 7 December 2021
