Council improves services for autistic adults in Milton Keynes following tragic death of Roy Curtis

There was a 'gap in provision' for autistic adults in MK at the time tragic Roy Curtis was diagnosed, a safeguarding report has revealed.
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The report examines in detail how vulnerable 28-year-old Roy came to take his own life alone in his Ashlands flat - and why his body was not discovered until nine months later.

The Citizen is providing a link to the Safeguarding Adults Review report so you can read it in full here. Roy is referred to as Adult D.

Compiled by the MK Together Partnership, it describes how Roy was diagnosed with "autism/ Asperger's Syndrome" in 2012 at the age of 21.

Roy (Ayman) in happier timesRoy (Ayman) in happier times
Roy (Ayman) in happier times

It states: "At the time of diagnosis, Milton Keynes Council did not have a dedicated autism service for adults and did not offer supported housing specifically for people with autism, although Adult D was provided with supported accommodation after a change in circumstances when he left the family home. Soon afterwards Adult D ended all communication with his family."

It adds: "He saw himself as being misunderstood, being ‘different’ and seeing the world in a different way to others, all of which are widely reported by adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood.

"Having an Asperger profile involves neuro-biological differences in how information is processed and integrated by the person and this can profoundly impact on the person throughout their life. They are often misunderstood and misjudged. Practitioners often incorrectly assume that articulate people with autism are capable in areas in which they struggle, whilst those with less verbal skills are often incorrectly assumed to be lacking in skills, ‘strengths’, ability or potential."

Roy, who changed his name from Ayman Habayeb, continued to be under the care of Mk social services vulnerable adults team. But he became upset and depressed in 2018 when DWP said he needed to attend a fit to work interview or his benefits could stop.

His mental health became so poor that he was admitted to the city's Campbell Centre. He was discharged without a treatment plan, and social workers also failed to visit to check his wellbeing, an inquest heard this week.

Some time in November 2018, Roy took his own life. His body was not discovered until August 2019 when a bailiff called at the flat to claim unpaid rent. See the Citizen story here.

In a list of "lessons learned", the report states the DWP has now recruited 10 senior partnership leaders who have safeguarding work as a priority.

It calls for all relevant staff in health and social care will be trained to understand the oppression and discrimination that is often experienced by adults with high functioning autism. "This is a hidden disability that can be overlooked," it states,

The report adds: "Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group have acknowledged that there were gaps in services for adults at the time for adults who are not diagnosed with autism in childhood.

"They now have an Autism Service that was developed in partnership between health and social care and this provides assessment, diagnosis and some post-diagnostic support for people aged 16 and over. The service now provides psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy alongside social care."

And it concludes: "It is ...crucial that the lessons learned from this SAR are put into practice and appropriate protocols for supporting adults with high functioning autism are developed and this is prevented from occurring in the future. Good practice should be shared across the agencies."

The inquest into Roy's death was concluded today, with senior coroner Tom Osborne identifying failures by mental health as well as and social services in MK.

He said that, as a citizen of MK, he felt terrible that Roy's body was not discovered for such a long time..

"It is an indictment on all of as as a society in Milton Keynes, that his body lay there undetected for many months," he concluded.

A spokesman for the MK Together partnership formed by the council said: “In Milton Keynes we have made significant changes to the way agencies work together and share information to support people with complex needs. In parallel, Milton Keynes Council launched an Integrated Autism Service last year which covers assessment, diagnosis and post-diagnostic support for people aged 16 plus.

"Helping local people to get the mental health and social care support they need must remain a priority. This tragic death underlines the importance of strong collaboration between the NHS, social care, housing providers, and the police. We will continue to put the learnings from this important case into practice to ensure that adults with autism are fully supported. We will do everything possible to reduce the risk of this happening again.”

Suicide is preventable and support is available, such as Samaritans’ helpline. When life is difficult, Samaritans are there – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at [email protected], or visit their website to find your nearest branch.