Government response to JCHR reports: our statement

Affinity Trust welcomes the government’s response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ reports on the Detention of Young People with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism and the implications of the Government’s COVID-19 response.

In particular:

• It is welcome that there will be an all-age cross-government autism strategy by the end of the year. We hope that sufficient resources will be provided to implement the recommendations.

• We agree that hospital care is sometimes necessary for people to receive the treatment they need. However, most hospitals are not providing quality care and treatment and must be improved.

• We welcome the report These are Our Children and the plans to improve pathways for children and young people but, without adequate resourcing, no report will change outcomes for those on whose behalf it speaks.

• It is good that commissioning bodies will have a legal requirement to commission local provision but they must have sufficient resources to ensure that local provision is of a good standard.

• It is currently very difficult to source suitable, affordable housing for those with the most complex needs – the government must fund Building the Right Support properly, especially in localities where housing is the most expensive, or children will continue to be placed far from home.

• It is good that funding will be available to support families to keep in touch with their children placed out of the local area but care must be taken that this does not lead to complacency in moving these children closer to home.

Read the government’s response to the reports from the Joint Committee of Human Rights

Read the Easyread version of the government’s response