The Children’s Commissioner for England finds that a significant number of children with learning difficulties are unable to access appropriate support at school.
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“They’re going to kill my son. My son is going to come home in a box.”
Leo Andrade’s 23 year old son, Stephen, spent six years in mental health institutions.
He has a form of severe autism.
“And he nearly did a few times. No exaggeration. Its the most cruellest of things that local authorities do to a parent.”
His human rights are violated in all aspects. Stephen was abused mentally. He was abused physically, verbally, and restrained.”
Ms Andrade added: “Can you imagine a young person who has severe autism. Who doesn’t understand what is going on around him. Who is thrown on the floor face down, hands behind [his] back, feet tied to [his] your hands behind your back, face down for four hours?
“Because that’s what happened at one particular place.”
Ms Andrade’s family is from Islington, North London.
However, the mental health units Stephen moved between over the past six years are sometimes hours away.
For instance, the furthest was in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. This is 70 miles away from Islington.
‘Unacceptably high’
Steven’s case is just one of many that was brought to the fore due to a report released today and conducted for Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England.
It finds that a significant number of children with learning difficulties are unable to access appropriate support at school. This includes in their local communities. The figures are ‘unacceptably high’.
It calls for a focus on addressing children’s problems before they require in-patient care.
Poor conditions within mental health institutions
The review says 250 children are identified as having autism or a learning disability in England’s mental health hospitals in February 2019.
By comparison, in March 2015, only 110 were identified.
Ms Longfield highlights what she calls “shocking” evidence of “poor and restrictive practices” within mental health institutions. This is where children like Stephen are housed.
City News’s Health correspondent, Sacha Power reported: “We’ve heard of children being restrained, kept in isolation, sedated and not washed for six months or more.”
The Health Secretary’s Response
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock has promised the Department of Health will take action.
He says: “We’re going to make sure that all of the cases of young people […], where they’re in long term seclusion; they’re all looked at and reviewed, and that there is an advocate for those young people because they often aren’t in a position to speak for themselves in terms of the care that they should be getting.”
Mr Hancock continued: “The really sad thing about this is that its often more expensive to keep them in in patient settings like these that are inappropriate for them.”
Therefore it is also very difficult to get it right because some people do need to be in an in-patient setting.”
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Headline‘My son’s going to come home in a box’: Islington mother fears for her autistic son
Short Headline'My son's going to come home in a box'
StandfirstA new report claims that too many young people with autism and learning disabilities are being kept in 'unacceptable' mental health institutions.
“They’re going to kill my son. My son is going to come home in a box.”
Leo Andrade’s 23 year old son, Stephen, spent six years in mental health institutions.
He has a form of severe autism.
“And he nearly did a few times. No exaggeration. Its the most cruellest of things that local authorities do to a parent.”
His human rights are violated in all aspects. Stephen was abused mentally. He was abused physically, verbally, and restrained.”
Ms Andrade added: “Can you imagine a young person who has severe autism. Who doesn’t understand what is going on around him. Who is thrown on the floor face down, hands behind [his] back, feet tied to [his] your hands behind your back, face down for four hours?
“Because that’s what happened at one particular place.”
Ms Andrade’s family is from Islington, North London.
However, the mental health units Stephen moved between over the past six years are sometimes hours away.
For instance, the furthest was in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. This is 70 miles away from Islington.
‘Unacceptably high’
Steven’s case is just one of many that was brought to the fore due to a report released today and conducted for Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England.
It finds that a significant number of children with learning difficulties are unable to access appropriate support at school. This includes in their local communities. The figures are ‘unacceptably high’.
It calls for a focus on addressing children’s problems before they require in-patient care.
Poor conditions within mental health institutions
The review says 250 children are identified as having autism or a learning disability in England’s mental health hospitals in February 2019.
By comparison, in March 2015, only 110 were identified.
Ms Longfield highlights what she calls “shocking” evidence of “poor and restrictive practices” within mental health institutions. This is where children like Stephen are housed.
City News’s Health correspondent, Sacha Power reported: “We’ve heard of children being restrained, kept in isolation, sedated and not washed for six months or more.”
The Health Secretary’s Response
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock has promised the Department of Health will take action.
He says: “We’re going to make sure that all of the cases of young people […], where they’re in long term seclusion; they’re all looked at and reviewed, and that there is an advocate for those young people because they often aren’t in a position to speak for themselves in terms of the care that they should be getting.”
Mr Hancock continued: “The really sad thing about this is that its often more expensive to keep them in in patient settings like these that are inappropriate for them.”
Therefore it is also very difficult to get it right because some people do need to be in an in-patient setting.”
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