[Ammi]

The distraught father of an autistic teenager who is locked up for 24 hours a day without any physical human contact has told Sky News his daughter "is not an animal".

Jeremy, whose full name cannot be disclosed to protect his daughter Bethany's identity, said she is being held in a "cell" where food is served to her by sliding it across the floor.

He said: "I use the word cell because the room has a door you can walk into and is locked. Bethany is locked away in a cell. It is 10ft wide and 14ft to 15ft long.

"There is no furniture except a mattress on the floor that she sleeps on. There is no access to fresh air, not a window she can see out of. It's incredibly bright.

"Beth's sensory needs need somewhere calm. It's noisy, you can hear people on the secure ward. People who are distressed."



Bethany has autism and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act when she was 15 years old because she was deemed a risk to herself and others.


She has been locked up for almost three years.


Jeremy said: "We no longer have physical contact with Beth. The hospital says it can no longer support her, they see her as a risk, they see her as a potential risk.

"So many of the restrictions they put in place are not because of what she has done but because of what they feel Beth might do. So they now keep her locked away.

"When it comes to feeding Beth, Beth has to move to the end of the room, sit on the floor behind a line. Only then will they open the door and slide her food in and lock the door again. That's like feeding a vicious dog. My daughter is not an animal."


She was moved there after her community placement broke down because she had not been given the proper support she needed.

That was accepted after Jeremy fought a legal battle against NHS England, St Andrew's Healthcare and his local authority.

He argued successfully they were failing in their duty of care for Bethany. The case was settled out of court with all parties accepting that Bethany's care was inappropriate.

He said: "When Beth entered St Andrew's in Northampton we were told that she was going to be assessed, her diagnosis of autism was correct. Instead, within a week she was locked away.

"And she stayed there for weeks which became months and then became two years. The abuse she was suffering there just got worse."

A joint statement released after the case was settled said: "St Andrew's Healthcare and NHS England have accepted that the care provided to Bethany did not always comply with the Mental Health Act Code of Practice and the NICE Guidelines on managing violence and aggression. This affected her wellbeing and made it harder for her to return to live in the community."


But Jeremy says nothing has changed for Bethany. If anything the current unit is even more restrictive.

In a phone conversation with her father Jeremy, Beth said she was encouraged by the all the support she had been given by campaigners who have highlighted her case.

She said: "That's why I don't have any issue (telling my story). The last thing I want to do is refuse that extra help. There is no one around and I want lots of people to help.

"I am strong, I am feeling a bit stronger than I was before, but there are certain people who let me down and that's what I don't like.

"It makes it a lot easier when the people who are interacting with me are trying their best with me."

A report into the failure of Bethany's care now sits on the Health Secretary Matt Hancock's desk. It makes more than 80 recommendations.

Jeremy said: "There have been so many reviews and recommendations, just placated with review after review. That needs to stop. Matt Hancock needs to make those changes that his report says are needed."


The Department of Health and Social Care responded by saying: "We have received the review and are looking at it closely.

"The secretary of state for health and social care is dedicated to improving the care of people with learning disabilities and autism and is committed to maximum transparency on publication while protecting privacy as appropriate."

NHS England told Sky News: "Bethany's case continues to be assessed by expert clinicians and we are working with her family and Bethany herself, to agree and manage an ongoing plan for her care."

A joint statement said: "St Andrew's Healthcare and NHS England have put in place changes to improve the care of people with autistic spectrum disorder including new policies and systems for monitoring compliance with the Mental Health Act Code of Practice in relation to seclusion and long-term segregation; and improved equality training for staff."

The unit where Beth is being held accepts it is unsuited to her needs and she needs to be moved.

There are currently 2,250 people with a learning disability or autism from England in units, 235 of them are under the age of 18.

Some 355 people have been in institutions/hospitals for 10 years or more, according to NHS Digital's most recent data for England in September 2019.

Last October, Sky News revealed that 40 people with a learning disability or autism have died while admitted to secure treatment units since 2015 - and told the story of a man who has spent 19 years in one unit.

Jeremy says he has not been able to hold his daughter "for weeks".

"If I'd known it was going to be the last time I wouldn't have let her go. Now to sit and talk to her through a thick Perspex window, we can't even have a proper conversation. She begs to have her hand held."


https://news.sky.com/story/autistic-...ather-11849347

[arista]

Yes its not on.

Good Report on SkyNewsHD.

I assume its a funding problem
of not having the correct staff in her area.


The Dad was on SkyNewsHD Breakfast

[arista]

That Dad was also on BBC news today.

[Kizzy]

What a horrific story, and how many bethanys are there? ... I'm of the mind eugenics are in play here.

[Epic.]

Really hate stories like this and stigmas surrounding autism in general. The fact that thinking a ****ing cage will better ANYONE let alone an autistic person is asinine, not even mentioning the fact that autistic people like their own space and not being limited like this. I feel actually ill reading this especially as someone with autism who has experienced it being generalized. It is not a massive deferring of someone as a person if they have autism and it is NOTHING to be ashamed of! The people who've done this without parental consent deserve a taste of their own medicine

[Mystic Mock]

This is sick in the head, what sort of doctors do that to people?

[arista]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

What a horrific story, and how many bethanys are there? ... I'm of the mind eugenics are in play here.

No this is a Error
and lack of staff that can deal with her.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

What a horrific story, and how many bethanys are there? ... I'm of the mind eugenics are in play here.

...according to the report, there are around 2250 Bethany’s, Kizzy...and it’s been established that her duty of care has failed...so there is another 2249 Bethany’s whose duty of care also has to be questioned...there are obviously huge failings in the facilities provided and any family support and something which has been happening for a long, long time...Bethany has been there for 3 years...it’s all very sad and not something that should be happening...we’re at 2019 on the calendar and severe autism is being caged and isolated...?...I wonder why it has taken 3 years for her family to go public with Bethany’s story...

[Kizzy]

We put our faith in professionals, we trust them to be doing what is in our best interests.. in this case it's taken one family a long time to realise that just might not be the case, which is a bitter pill to swallow.
Is it a lack of resources and staff or a different set of ethics that enable this treatment to continue?

Across the board the vulnerable are being marginalised, the old, mentally ill, the physically and mentally disabled, as well as refugees, the homeless, poor, imprisoned and inner city children.

Is it any surprise that the problems that cuts, austerity and policy change lead to situations like this becoming commonplace..
Certain media outlets perpetuate myths that desensitise people to see these groups as a drain or a threat, which is why there isnt a loud enough outrage when these practices are exposed.

[Toy Soldier]

It's a combination of a lack of staff, undertrained staff having no idea what they're doing, and a lack of research into the best ways to approach severe autism. I don't know what's scarier though... It would obviously be terrifying to think that people are doing things like this on purpose, but it's also quite chilling to realise that it's just widespread systematic incompetence.

The situation with care of the elderly is the same. Just abysmal. Massive lack of training and resources means that elderly people seriously affected by dementia are being screeched at by staff who got 3 hours of moving and handling training and handed a uniform... Absolutely no understanding of elderly medicine at all.

[Ammi]

...I do feel that much is linked to lack of funding...special educational units and some schools have been closing down for a few years now, even in the small area where I live...we lost 2 excellent special needs units...and those had the well trained staff and many professional associated services...(..there has been the promise or pledge of renewed funding so that might start to go someway toward addressing the problem...)...if the schools aren’t there then is this what is being thought of as an ‘option’...?...it’s horrendous and not something that should ever be an acceptable option...

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

It's a combination of a lack of staff, undertrained staff having no idea what they're doing, and a lack of research into the best ways to approach severe autism. I don't know what's scarier though... It would obviously be terrifying to think that people are doing things like this on purpose, but it's also quite chilling to realise that it's just widespread systematic incompetence.

The situation with care of the elderly is the same. Just abysmal. Massive lack of training and resources means that elderly people seriously affected by dementia are being screeched at by staff who got 3 hours of moving and handling training and handed a uniform... Absolutely no understanding of elderly medicine at all.

completely agree with this, I visit my neighbour who has recently gone into a home with dementia, her family have put her in a home with other residents who have advanced stages, and she is no where near that level but that is another story, I have witnessed some very poor treatment and the staff taking insults personally when that is a well documented side affect of dementia, all very sad and complaining to manager is pretty much useless as she appears to have zero empathy

With regard to the case above every family should be as hands on as possible, you cannot hand over your family member and expect them to be well looked in some situations sadly

[Ammi]

Autistic Bethany 'will be moved before Christmas', says health secretary Matt Hancock...


The health secretary has apologised to an autistic girl who is locked up 24 hours a day without human contact.

Matt Hancock has told Sky News that "the current plan" is to get Bethany - whose full name cannot be published - moved to a "more appropriate setting before Christmas".

Asked by Sky News' Sophy Ridge if he would say sorry to Bethany's father Jeremy, Mr Hancock said: "Of course I apologise to Jeremy, and frankly to Bethany, for the things that have gone wrong in her care."



https://news.sky.com/story/autistic-...ncock-11857982



...hopefully there’ll see some real changes and steps forward in the system because of Bethany’s story being highlighted...

[arista]

Originally Posted by Ammi

Autistic Bethany 'will be moved before Christmas', says health secretary Matt Hancock...


The health secretary has apologised to an autistic girl who is locked up 24 hours a day without human contact.

Matt Hancock has told Sky News that "the current plan" is to get Bethany - whose full name cannot be published - moved to a "more appropriate setting before Christmas".

Asked by Sky News' Sophy Ridge if he would say sorry to Bethany's father Jeremy, Mr Hancock said: "Of course I apologise to Jeremy, and frankly to Bethany, for the things that have gone wrong in her care."



https://news.sky.com/story/autistic-...ncock-11857982



...hopefully there’ll see some real changes and steps forward in the system because of Bethany’s story being highlighted...

Yes one good thing he said.
On the 9AM Saturday Edition of Ridge

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...hopefully there’ll see some real changes and steps forward in the system because of Bethany’s story being highlighted...

I sadly doubt it Ammi, her dad has done absolutely the right thing by getting this to "go viral" in a way that makes it very, very bad publicity for health services and the government so they'll be putting in a lot of effort to sort out this girl's situation. But they'll be hoping that that's enough to make the public glare "go away" so that they don't have to put in major changes.

These stories terrify me due to my own daughter. Thankfully, my wife now has a fairly extensive academic, healthcare and political network (including some fairly high-profile individuals) that mean if anything like this did happen to us, it would blow up very quickly. A terrifying situation for all parents of autistic and learning disabled children, though.

[Kizzy]

As said really happy that this has been resolved not without the media glare however....