‘These Are Our Children’ review calls for urgent action to keep disabled children and young people out of institutions – England

  From press release: A review of the care of disabled children and young people with challenging behaviour and complex mental health needs, is calling for urgent action at a national level to prevent these children being institutionalised at an early age.  

The review by Christine Lenehan of the Council for Disabled Children drew evidence from civil servants, clinicians, managers, parents and young people. It found that despite numerous Government initiatives, accelerated since the abuse of people with learning disabilities was uncovered at Winterbourne View, there is not a clear vision for the treatment of these children.

A lack of ownership or accountability across a fragmented system of care is depriving children of their right to an education, and community and family life.

Data to be published in the spring, finds that there were 170 under-18s with learning disabilities and / or autism in inpatient care and 635 aged 18-25. Over a thousand children (1,129) were in 52-week residential schools. The costs of inpatient care and treatment for each of these children could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds each year.

The review calls for calls for:

Better understanding

A model of care

Professional responsibility

Alignment of national programmes and local commissioning

Better commissioning of services

Further details: https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/news-opinion/news/lenehan-review-calls-urgent-action