Connor was a young man with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
and epilepsy who tragically died in a specialist
NHS
The NHS is the National Health
Service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals.
Assessment
An assessment is a way of finding out what help a person needs. When you have an assessment, you might have to go to a meeting or fill in a form.
and Treatment Unit, Slade House, run by Southern Health NHS Care.
He was found submerged in a bath following an epileptic seizure.
Mencap and The
Challenging Behaviour
Challenging behaviour can be when someone hurts themselves, hits or pinches someone else, or breaks something. Some people might behave like this because they are upset or because people do not understand them.
Foundation along with others have worked to ensure that a fair investigation into the reason for his untimely and tragic death was conducted. His family have had to face a long and distressing battle to get to this point as originally his death was written off as natural causes.
The inquiry report found that the overall care provided to Connor by the unit had ‘failed significantly’. It also found that staff did not engage with the family in order to gain a full picture of Connor’s care and support needs.
Following the
abuse
Abuse is when someone bullies you and does or says something to you that makes you feel hurt, upset or scared.
scandal at Winterbourne View assessment and treatment unit,
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
Tax is the money that people pay to the
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work.
has said that people with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges should be getting the right care and support in their local areas by 2014.
To make this a reality, local areas must develop a robust range of support and services to ensure this
vulnerable
Being vulnerable means being at risk of harm, or that you need special care because of your age or disability.
group of people can get the right support, in the right place, at the right time. Both the Government’s final report on Winterbourne and the inquiry into Connor’s death have highlighted the importance of fully involving families in planning and delivering care.
Jan Tregelles, Chief Executive of Mencap, and Vivien Cooper, Chief Executive of The Challenging Behaviour Foundation, said:
Since Winterbourne View, a spotlight has been shone on assessment and treatment units, placing an urgent need to radically transform care and support for people with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges. It is shocking that a preventable death has happened in these circumstances.
Sadly we know that Connor’s death is not the only tragedy. We are currently working with families in similar, dreadful situations. Our fight for justice will not stop until every person with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges receives high quality care in their local community
A community is the people and places in an area. .
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
For further information, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 6950 or email media@mencap.org.uk.
* PDF Investigation report into the death of Connor Sparrowhawk.
About Mencap
There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
,
employment
Employment means having a job.
and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities.
Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email help@mencap.org.uk.
About The Challenging Behaviour Foundation
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation provides information, support and training around challenging behaviour associated with severe learning disabilities, and leads the ‘Challenging Behaviour National
Strategy
A strategy is a plan to show what an
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
, or a person, wants to do and how they are going to do it.
Group’ which seeks to influence policy and practice nationally on behalf of individuals who challenge and their families.
The Challenging Behaviour Foundation was founded in 1997 by Vivien Cooper, parent of a son with severe learning disabilities and behaviour described as challenging. Today the Challenging Behaviour Foundation is in regular contact with over 5000 families and professionals across the UK. There are an estimated 30,000 individuals in England with severe learning disabilities and behaviour described as challenging.