I was appalled to see on the news of how certain people with autism have been treated in secured units or hospitals and cannot believe we live in an age where these draconian methods are allowed to exist. The response given was that more training was needed to see how to deal with these people moving forward because somehow the system has not learnt how to deal with human beings in a respectful way, no matter the condition.
I live with a wonderful man who has autism and learning disabilities, he has made me realise that society does not really understand or know how to handle people with these conditions, so god help us if adult social services does not know either. I am currently having a fight with Bury Adult Social Care because they closed my civil partners file down, even though his needs were not met. Unlike in Telford where he had a constant social worker, as was the same in Manchester, Bury, however, wants to just offer a care package and once completed, it gets closed down.
This goes to highlight to me that it is not just hospitals or institutions that lack proper training or understanding of autism / learning issues. The system and social services need to realise it is such an individual condition that it would be wrong to believe that any person with autism will be the same, their responses the same, their feelings the same, their understanding the same, etc. Every person in Social Care dealing with someone who has this condition cannot be assessed in a 1 hour session or by a little chat because it has taken me 3 years to feel like I understand my amazing man and I am still learning.
They will never get this right, if the people close to these amazing people are not involved because only they know. To save money and wasting time, work together with loved ones, family and friends to ensure that the proper care and help can be given, its time to wake up and smell the roses, so these wonderful people can have a real chance of a really good life.
Neil,
your partner is lucky to have you as such a strong advocate for his rights.
I care for S and he has autism and related learning difficulties. Unfortunately, many staff in both health and social care have extremely limited training in autism - hence you hear things in A&E like “oh he likes the lights doesn’t he” re S looking at the numbers on the monitor - it would have been appropriate for her to have got a pen and paper and explained what the numbers meant. In social care - “they need routine don’t they, it’s all about setting up a routine, as long as they have a routine.” Um, how many time can one social worker get the word ‘routine’ into one sentence?! This was her advice re Lockdown - mmm yes we have a Lockdown routine thanks, but one person supporting S to follow it 24/7, is not sustainable … And, then the OT who was insistent on coming out to access him for a hoist for the bath??? He is fully ambulant, fit and healthy and had been referred for an updated sensory needs assessment…
Unfortunately the staff employed in ATUs, some supported living settings and inpatient hospitals to deliver care and support are often low paid, unskilled and frankly in the wrong job.
Thanks Melly and everything you have said just shows how the system gets it so wrong and in fact, they just do not listen because they believe they know best.
Adams 1st social worker here in Bury said she had completed his care package but in fact had done absolutely nothing and it was only me putting in a complaint that things had to change. I did not know how hard I would have to fight for so many things but I will not allow people just to walk all over him and if that helps anyone else in the same situation, then I would feel it was so worthwhile.
Thank you again for your response and I do hope that everything does get easier.
I’m not even going to get into the situation of autistic who are in A.T.U.'s. Only just to say it’s far worse than it’s ever been reported by the media. That includes its worse than the Winterbourne scandal investigated by Panorama. Social services are a ‘pit’ organization…they are trained and do understand but to save funding they decide ‘not to’ understand.