A mother says her autistic son is being held in hospital-like conditions in supported living.
The mother, who cannot be identified, says the institutional-type arrangements amount to “psychological torture”.
Campaigning parent Caroline Hopton, who has heard horror stories of neglect and abuse in supported living
She said when her son visits her, home-support staff will take away his dinner plate before he has finished his meal if the time allotted has elapsed.
Sectioned as a 16-year-old
The man, who also has a learning disability, was sectioned five years ago as a 16-year-old.
The family say he was traumatised after being put in a hospital five or six hours from home. They say he began self-harming.
He was regularly restrained and secluded before his discharge into supported living in June 2018.
‘Happiest at home’
The man does not have challenging behaviours and is happiest at home, the family say.
They add he is still regularly restrained on the floor and sedated and constantly has unexplained injury marks.
The family has set up a crowdfunding page to raise funds for a legal battle to bring their son home.
Campaigning parent
Caroline Hopton is a campaigning parent who was involved in a fight to enable parents to continue making decisions for their learning-disabled children after they turn 18.
A massive campaigning effort has been taking place to end the detention of people with autism and learning disabilities in long-stay hospitals. Hopton is herself campaigning on this issue.
But she believes the case involving supported living shows that sometimes the quality of care is no better there than in long-stay hospitals.
Hopton, 56, from Windsor, said problems in care exist “across the board”.
‘Horror stories’ in supported living
She added that she has heard “horror stories about people being neglected and abused” in supported living.
You can visit the crowdfunding page here: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice-for-my-autistic-son/
Related:
- Government plans better care training
- Mum petitions for forced autism training
- Care worker sentenced for abuse
- Parents win more rights in over-18s care
- High noon at High Court for parents
- Parents want rights in over-18s welfare
- Parents go to court to fight for rights
- Mum secretly films care worker abuse
Published: 13 August 2019
