Campaigners have cautiously welcomed plans to limit the detention of people with a learning disability or autism. The pledge, included in the King's Speech, is part of the government's announcement to reform the Mental Health Act. The National Autistic Society described the move as 'long overdue' adding that since 2015 there has been a 116% rise in autistic people without a learning disability being locked up in mental health hospitals.
In 2019, we highlighted the campaign of the father of Bethany - a young autistic girl who was detained in a single room for 24 hours a day. Her dad, Jeremy, had to hold her hand through a hatch in the door when he visited. Since our report, Bethany has been moved out of the secure unit and is living near her father. He now works as an independent reviewer of the care given to people with learning disabilities and autistic people in secure care.