Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Treatment of autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities

Status: Closed Opened: 3 Feb 2021 Closed: 1 Aug 2022 14 recommendations 6 conclusions 1 report

Limited progress in improving the way autistic people and individuals with learning disabilities are treated is to be examined by the Health and Social Care Committee. The short inquiry will hold the first of two evidence sessions next week with particular focus on the use of restraint and “sectioning”. It will also consider issues around … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - The treatment of autistic people and people … HC 21 13 Jul 2021 20 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
1 Conclusion Fifth Report - The treatment of autisti… Acknowledged

Autistic people and people with learning disabilities have the right to live independent, free and...

Autistic people and people with learning disabilities have the right to live independent, free and fulfilled lives in the community and it is an unacceptable violation of their human rights to deny them the chance to do so. It is also more expensive to detain autistic people and people with … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the importance of community support, acknowledges the funding complexity, and outlines current spending initiatives for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
Read full response →
Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
27 Apr 2021 Bengi O’Reilly, an individual with lived experience, Claire Murdoch · NHS England, Dr Sara Ryan, an individual with lived experience, Fiona Walshe · Department of Health and Social Care, Helen Whately MP · Department of Health and Social Care, Roger Banks · NHS England View ↗
13 Apr 2021 Baroness Sheila Hollins · Beyond Words, Dr Ian Davidson · NHS and Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Ken Courteney · Royal College of Psychiatrists Intellectual Disability Faculty, Dr Theresa Joyce · Care Quality Commission, Ian Birrell, Journalist, Professor Philip Fennell · Cardiff University, Sir Norman Lamb, former Minister at the Department of Health View ↗
9 Feb 2021 Alexis Quinn, autism activist, author and Restraint Reduction Network Manager, Dan Scorer · Mencap, Ivan Olbrechts · Learning Disability England, Julie Newcombe · Rightful Lives, Vivien Cooper · Challenging Behaviour Foundation View ↗

Who gave evidence

18 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alexis Quinn, autism activist, author and Restraint Reduction Network Manager 1
Baroness Sheila Hollins · Founder Beyond Words 1
Bengi O’Reilly, an individual with lived experience 1
Claire Murdoch · National Director for Mental Health NHS England 1
Dan Scorer · Head of Policy, Public Affairs, Information and A… Mencap 1
Dr Ian Davidson · Autism Lead NHS and Royal College of Psychiatrists 1
Dr Ken Courteney · Chair Royal College of Psychiatrists Intellectual Disability Faculty 1
Dr Sara Ryan, an individual with lived experience 1
Dr Theresa Joyce · Clinical Psychologist and former National Profess… Care Quality Commission 1
Fiona Walshe · Director for Mental Health and Disabilities, Shie… Department of Health and Social Care 1
Helen Whately MP · Minister of State Department of Health and Social Care 1
Ian Birrell, Journalist 1
Ivan Olbrechts · Representative Body Member Learning Disability England 1
Julie Newcombe · Co-Founder Rightful Lives 1
Professor Philip Fennell · Emeritus Professor Cardiff University 1
Roger Banks · National Clinical Director for Learning Disabilit… NHS England 1
Sir Norman Lamb, former Minister at the Department of Health 1
Vivien Cooper · Founder Challenging Behaviour Foundation 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
26 Oct 2021 Correspondence with the Minister of State for Care and Mental Health on Treatme…
22 Jun 2021 To cttee Letter from the National Mental Health Director on assuring transformation data…
25 May 2021 To cttee Letter from NHS England and NHS Improvement on the Committee's inquiry into Tre…