Learning disability services 'in need of overhaul'

A campaigner has said residential care for adults with learning disabilities needs an "overhaul" after a review that identified failings in the current provision.

Fran Tinkler of Manx Mencap said a recent review highlighting a number of issues in the services "completely validates" concerns raised by the charity and family members over several years.

Commissioned by Manx Care, the independent report found that restrictive practices had been normalised and accommodation placements were mismatched.

Manx Care said it would now produce an implementation plan to tackle the "significant areas for improvement" identified in the report.

Ms Tinkler said the review had not come as "any surprise to parents really" as it "highlights all the things we have been saying for years".

She said the service had gone into "crisis" prior to the review due to cuts in staffing, leaving existing employees "disenfranchised" with morale that was "very low".

She said remaining staff had come under "a lot of pressure", and training would be the "backbone of how we move forward".

There was a need for a dedicated psychologist, occupational therapist and a speech therapy service for adults with learning disabilities, she continued.

The review identified that restrictive practices were used in some cases, such as lack of access to the kitchen because a residents risked hurting themselves by drinking from the kettle.

Ms Tinkler said staff should find out "why those behaviours were happening" and put the kettle away instead, as locking the kitchen meant residents could not even get a cold drink without going to staff which was "not conducive to independent living".

She also said there were people who wanted to move into residential care homes but Manx Care "just don't have room for them", and some of the accommodation provided was in old townhouses, which were "not fit for purpose".

"We have people in incorrect placements which hinders everybody," she said.

But she said the review and recommendations represented a "real opportunity" to create services that were "really inclusive and have a high quality".

She said: "I think the way forward is to overhaul the service, to look at what we are doing and how we are doing it."

"We owe it to people who use residential care."

In response to the review, Manx Care chief executive Teresa Cope said it was clear that there was "learning for the whole system on the island".

"Service managers have already begun work to introduce new ways of working and address some of the findings in the report," she said.

Work was also underway "to find a wider range of housing and accommodation options" and a broader commissioning plan was being developed, she added.

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