Stephen Timms, pledges to end ‘inhumane scandal’ (Image: Getty)
The Disability Minister has pledged to cross government action to end the scandal in which thousands of patients with learning disabilities and autism are ‘wrongly’ and ‘inhumanely’ locked in solitary confinement due to a lack of supported community places.
Speaking at the Labour party conference last week, Sir Stephen Timms, minister for Social Security and Disability said, “Action is needed – there is clear cross government agreement that the situation needs to change. Many people are being wrongly detained. My colleagues in the Department of Health will help ensure people get the support they need in the community to stop the unnecessary incarceration of people with autism and learning difficulties as part of their commitment to reforms in the Mental Health bill announced in the King’s Speech.”
The pledge comes as a new analysis of NHS figures shows there are currently 2,205 learning disabled or autistic locked up in Autistic Treatment Centres – ATU’s – against the wishes of their relatives. As many as twelve percent are children – equating to 265 under 18’s.
Patients are held for an average of five years, though some are held for decades. This is despite numerous government pledges to end the practice including an NHS report in 2012 which stated that people with a learning disability or autism would be moved to community based care ‘no later than June 2014.’ Subsequent deadlines to cut the numbers have been missed.
Sir Stephen spoke at a special fringe meeting at the Labour party where it was heard that in many ATU’s ‘basic needs are simply not met, abuse is rife and people face being totally dehumanised.
“ATU’s are likely to employ restrictive practices, including restraint, isolation and over medication – a threat to people’s safety and often in breach of their human rights.”
Stephen Timms wants to end incarceration scandal (Image: Skyrox Media )
“The potential of any therapeutic interventions is undermined by the damage caused by these restrictive practices. Almost everyone agrees including the government, the CQC and NHS England. And yet the problem persists. Why?”
In winter 2012, Stephen Andrade, then 18, from north London, was sectioned and detained in two different ATU’s over a period of six years after he became agitated and aggressive at school. During his period of incarceration he was dosed on up to eight ‘paralysing’ antipsychotic medications and held in a straight jacket for long periods.
His mother, Leo, 60, had initially believed she was doing the right thing when she allowed her fit and active son to be admitted. After an eight week ‘settling in’ period where she was not allowed to visit her son she was shocked when she saw him again in April 2013.
“Three men were dragging him towards me. His feet were being dragged along the floor. His head was slumped on his shoulders and his mouth twisted,” she recalled.
By the time she realised how heavily he was being drugged he had been sectioned and she wasn’t allowed to bring him home.
Stephen, now 29, was released in December 2018 after a long campaign by Leo which included meetings with parliamentary ministers, support from the mental health charity Mencap, and a petition. Stephen now lives in an adapted house in Hillington with 24 hour support.
Leo believes the government needs to stop commissioning private companies to run ATUs and instead localise care for people with learning disabilities and autism, calling the millions of pounds being spent on such centres a “hidden scandal”.
She has always maintained Stephen never should have been in the ATU’s in the first place and the drugs were making him catatonic. “I allowed myself to be led. I will die with the guilt that allowed the subsequent abuse that occurred.”