[Image: The logo for UK national charity Mencap. A maroon speech bubble highlights the word ‘Me’ within ‘Mencap’. The tag line is ‘The voice of learning disability’]

[Trigger Warning: Discussion of abuse of people with learning disabilities]

mencap:

Out of sight  is the new campaign report by Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation and tells the stories of James, Chrissy, Joe, Emmanuel and Victoria. In the report, their families talk about the terrible neglect and abuse their loved ones have experienced in institutions like Winterbourne View, often far away from home.

Out of sight comes one year on from the BBC’s Panorama programme which exposed shocking abuse of people with a learning disability at Winterbourne View, an assessment and treatment unit near Bristol.

In response to this, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out inspections of 145 assessment and treatment units and care homes for people with a learning disability. Shockingly, their report showed that half of all services were not meeting essential standards around care and welfare and protecting people from abuse.

What happened at Winterbourne View, the inspections carried out by the CQC, and our campaign report Out of sight show that people with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges are too often left isolated and at risk of abuse in some institutions. Urgent action is needed to change this.

Take action

We need you to take action to stop people with a learning disability being sent to institutions like Winterbourne View where they are risk of abuse and neglect. 

•  Send a copy of Out of sight to your MP.
• Ask your MP to call on the health minister to make sure the Government’s final report on Winterbourne View has a strong action plan in it.
• Ask your MP to attend an important debate on the abuse of people with a learning disability, secured by Tom Clarke MP, on Monday 3 September.

By taking our e-action you can do all this at once.

Or you could visit your MP and hand them a copy of the report and ask them in person.

What must change

Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation and the Challenging Behaviour National Strategy group are campaigning to end poor care and abuse at large, institutional-style services for people with a learning disability.

Out of sight shows what can happen when people with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges don’t get the support they need to live fulfilling lives in their community. We are calling for the phased closure of large, institutional-style services for people with a learning disability, and their replacement by appropriate local services.

The government has now published its interim report  into Winterbourne View. Read the full version and easy read version. We are concerned that the proposed actions do not go far enough. We are campaigning to ensure that the recommendations in the final report are strong enough to result in real change for people like James, Chrissy, Joe, Emmanuel and Victoria whose stories are told in the Out of sight report.

Further information

• Read Out of sight - full version and easy read. To order a hard copy of the report, please email publications@mencap.org.uk or call 020 7696 6900
• Download our policy paper to find out more about what changes are needed and why.
• Read the CQC report of its inspections of 145 services for people with a learning disability.
• Read IHAL’s review of the results of the CQC inspection programmewhich focuses on what the findings mean for people in the services inspected.
• Read the Serious Case Review into the events at Winterbourne View onSouth Gloucestershire Council website.
• Read the NHS Review of the commissioning of care and treatment at Winterbourne View.

Tell us your story

We want to hear more stories about the support people with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges are getting. If you want to share the experience you or someone you know has had, whether good or bad, please email campaigns@mencap.org.uk

Support and advice for families

If you are worried about the care of a loved one and need support or advice, call Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 or the Challenging Behaviour Foundation on 0845 602 7885.

If you are considering a support provider for your son or daughter, there are a number of questions you could ask to help you decide if they would be suitable, including specific questions about how behaviour is managed. See theChallenging Behaviour Foundation’s information sheet.

Whistleblowing Helpline

If you work in the NHS or social care and have concerns relating to malpractice at work, you can contact the free Whistleblowing helpline on 08000 724 725 or visit www.wbhelpline.org.uk