Matthew Garnett and his family deserve better

The Ann Craft Trust is greatly concerned to hear about the treatment of a 15 year old Autistic boy who has been living in a psychiatric unit for the past six months.

The news that Matthew Garnett believes that he is ‘in prison’ and that his family has been campaigning for a more appropriate service to meet his complex needs raises huge safeguarding concerns.

Our Disabled Children’s Manager, Sarah Goff said “Matthew and his family have a right to better services. A child should not be in receipt of adult provision where he won’t receive the child-centred help that he needs. “

At ACT we view the Garnett’s experience as undermining to the public’s confidence in the good work being carried out in the UK (across statutory and third sector services).

Sarah said “We need a real focus on the development of mental health facilities for young people like Matthew. It’s crucial that services, both at crisis point and prevention, understand autism and mental health and how this can shape a young person’s view of their world”

The Garnett’s fight over the last six months highlights an alarming lack of resources available to young people with learning disabilities and their families.
Finally our Disabled Children’s Manager, Sarah Goff said “With the training and knowledge available today it’s very worrying indeed that the individual needs of a young person with learning disabilities have been ignored”.