An autistic man detained in a mental health hospital for more than four years has been freed – thanks to his sister and her lawyers.
Elliot Dodds and his sister Beckii Davis are celebrating after the 27-year-old was released into a community placement.
Reunited: Beckii back with her brother Elliott
Beckii, from North Yorkshire, enabled her brother’s release after contacting specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.
She instructed the firm to investigate her brother’s care and help secure him a bespoke community care package in conjunction with care providers.
He is now living in his own home with the support of carers.
In a mental health hospital since 2018
Elliott had been in the mental health hospital, otherwise known as an assessment and treatment unit (ATU), after his mental health deteriorated in April 2018.
Kirsty Stuart is a specialist public law and human rights lawyer at Irwin Mitchell. She said: “What happened to Elliot has been incredibly upsetting, not only for him but also his family.
“Sadly, it’s also symptomatic of the other first-hand accounts we continue to hear from families whose loved ones are detained in these units.
“Understandably, all Beckii has wanted is what’s best for Elliot, which she believes is him receiving the support he requires in the community, allowing him to thrive.
‘Too many’ still in ATUs
Stuart added: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to help secure a care package specifically tailored to meet Elliot’s needs and look forward to seeing him make the most of life.
“However, despite previous pledges to reduce the number of autistic people and those with a learning disability being detained, far too many continue to be held in ATUs.
“As we continue to support families affected by such issues we once again call on the authorities to do more to reduce the numbers detained.”
Physical and mental health ‘deteriorated’
Elliot has a diagnosis of autism and epilepsy, for which he takes medication. He had been living at home with his family as part of a community care package before he was admitted to the hospital.
During his time in hospital, Elliot has spent significant time in isolation. Beckii said this caused her brother’s physical and mental health to deteriorate.
Beckii, 29, a sole trader, said: “When Elliot was admitted to hospital we hoped he’d receive the help he needed and would be home within a few weeks. Never did we think this would turn into a four-year battle.
“The last few years have been incredibly difficult for everyone, but particularly Elliot. Seeing him in hospital, locked away from the world, and how he was deteriorating was traumatic.
“While he has complex needs, nobody deserves to be treated in that way. He had no quality of life whatsoever.”
Hoping for a holiday to London
Beckii added: “My emotions are all over the place now that Elliot has been released. There have been a lot of upsetting and tearful times over the last few years, but it means everything to have Elliot in his new home.
“He’s settling into his new surroundings well and growing in confidence every day. He’s already been for a day out at the seaside and he’s made me a list of everything he wants to do.
“A holiday to London is the main thing. To some these may seem like ordinary things that people take for granted, but they mean the world to us.
She added: “I can’t thank everyone who’s helped us for everything they’ve done for our family. We remain upset at what we’ve had to go through and more definitely needs to be done to stop keeping people in ATUs.
“However, I also hope that Elliot coming home gives strength to other families who find themselves in a similar situation to what we did.”
What are assessment and treatment units?
These are a type of inpatient unit designed to be short-term placements where people stay while an assessment is carried out to decide if a person has a mental health problem, and if so what help they may require.
ATU numbers and cost to the taxpayer
At the end of June 2022, just over 2,000 people with autism and/or a learning disability were detained in units. Some 1,120 of them – or 56 per cent – have had a total length of stay of more than two years, figures from NHS Digital show.
The 2,000 figure has remained relatively stable for a number of years.
This is despite previous UK Government pledges to reduce the number of people with disabilities being detained in the units following the Winterbourne View scandal.
The average cost to the taxpayer of detaining a person in hospital is thought to be £3,563 per week, or £185,276 per year.
What the lawyers think
Kirsty Stuart, the Irwin Mitchell lawyer behind Elliott’s case, supports around 30 families who have relatives with a learning disability and/or autism in ATUs.
She said: “Despite previous government pledges to reduce the number of people detained in ATUs, sadly we’re seeing an increasing number of families asking for help.
“Many have spent years trying to navigate a complex system and feel they have no option but to seek legal advice in order for their loved ones to receive the care they deserve.
“Behind every statistic is a heartbreaking story of how families are being kept apart and how those detained continue to be denied the right to a home and a family life.
“We once again call on the Government to listen to campaigners and do more to honour previous pledges and reduce the number of people detained in ATUs, many of whom have been detained for several years.”
Government’s response
A Government spokesperson told Autism Eye: “Every young person in care deserves to live in accommodation that meets their needs and keeps them safe.
“We continue to support local authorities and are investing over £255 million over the next three years to increase the places available in both secure and open children’s homes.
“This will provide high quality, safe homes for some of our most vulnerable children and young people, including those for whom local authorities may currently be seeking deprivation of liberty orders.”
Related:
- New laws will target long-stay hospitals
- Long-stay hospitals ‘must close’
- Dismay at inaction over assessment units
- Nearly 50 dead in long-stay hospitals
- Scandal of decade-long hospital stays
- ‘Abject failure’ of hospital plan
- Huge surge in hospitals using restraint
- Social workers aim to cut hospital stays
- Still stuck in mental health hospitals
- Spotlight on hospital care
- Families fight detention ‘scandal’
Published: 28 September 2022
