Scandal of people with learning disabilities detained in secure hospitals

Martin Shipton

Senedd Members across the political spectrum have called on the Welsh Government to end a scandal which sees an estimated 125 adults with learning disabilities unnecessarily detained in secure hospitals.

The MSs have called for an urgent assessment of the housing needs of adults with learning disabilities in every part of Wales.

The Senedd Statement of Opinion, supported by the majority of Plaid Cymru MSs, calls on the Welsh Government to gather this critical data. Currently, the individuals concerned are being detained in secure hospital settings, hundreds of miles away from their families and communities, with few or no plans in place for what will happen to them.

First Choice Housing Association, which instigated the Statement of Opinion, is pressing the Welsh Government to undertake this assessment so that the care and housing needs of adults with learning disabilities in Wales are not decided by a postcode lottery.

Hywel Thomas, Senior Public Affairs Manager with First Choice Housing, said: “There has never been a pan-Wales assessment, per local authority area, of the housing needs of adults with learning disabilities. This is astonishing given that we’re talking about the provision of care and housing for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. If we don’t understand the need, then how can we possibly plan to meet the demand?

“Successive governments have made the right noises and talked about the importance of community-based care and the rights of adults with learning disabilities to remain in their communities. But the governance structures and the physical infrastructure required to support this aspiration, and I would argue a basic human right, simply aren’t there. The Regional Partnership Boards set up over a decade ago to improve service integration between health boards and councils continue to struggle with complex governance, funding and commissioning arrangements. As a small and agile nation, it can’t be beyond us to fix this.

“The new Welsh Government recently launched its Learning Disability Transformation Programme. During the launch, the government talked about the importance of good data to target its efforts and resources effectively. But there was no mention of undertaking an assessment of the housing needs of adults with learning disabilities in every part of Wales. This vital information should be the cornerstone of the Welsh Government’s three-year transformation programme.”

Reviews

Mr Thomas added: “When governments embark on lengthy reviews and programmes such as this, I would encourage them to spare a thought for those currently being detained in hospitals. It’s difficult to imagine the loneliness and suffering they must feel, so far away from their homes and families. The daily pain felt by their parents and siblings must be unbearable.

“It’s a parent’s most basic instinct to protect their child from harm, throughout their lives. As a parent myself, I cannot begin to imagine the sense of helplessness and anxiety that I would feel if one of my children was locked up and I was unable to see, comfort and protect them. Sadly, this Victorian-era practice is happening in Wales today.

“I would urge the Welsh Government to carry out a pan-Wales assessment of the housing needs of adults with learning disabilities without delay. There’s nothing complicated about this. It just requires the political will to make it happen.”

The Statement of Opinion was initially tabled in the name of Plaid Cymru MS Leticia Gonzalez.

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