Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
SON ‘LEFT TO WASTE’
Council accused over care teenager
The outraged dad of a severely brain-damaged young Airdrie man who almost died in the care of North Lanarkshire Council has hit out at the “absolutely horrific” condition his stricken son was left in.
Shocking photos of the then18-year-old – who cannot be named – show him weighing just three-and-a-half stones, severely dehydrated and suffering from sepsis.
A doctor who treated him said he also showed signs of having been “punched and deliberately struck”.
The young man was taken into the care of the local authority’s social work department after his dad suffered a stroke and then fell into a coma in December 2016.
The council “utterly rejects” any suggestion the vulnerable young man was mistreated, despite a sheriff ruling he had “suffered grievously” in its care.
And although he has been assessed as an unsuitable guardian, the man’s dad insists he is “desperate” to bring him home, while Airdrie MSP Alex Neil has accused the council of behaving in a “dictatorial way” by preventing people checking on the man’s condition while he is in care.
The father of a severely brain- damaged young man from Airdrie claims his son was “at death’s door” after suffering “alarming weight loss”, dehydration and sepsis while in the care of North Lanarkshire Council.
The 20-year-old’s disgusted dad – who has been deemed as an unsuitable guardian by a sheriff – says his son was left in an “absolutely horrific” condition and that he is now “desperate to get him home”.
In response the council said it “utterly rejects” any suggestion the young man – whose identity cannot be revealed – was mistreated.
Despite this, earlier this year, a sheriff ruled the man had “suffered grievously” when cared for by the local authority’s social work department back in December 2016.
This was after his dad, who had cared for him for his whole life up to that point, suffered a stroke and later lapsed into a seven-week coma.
The sheriff said the man, then aged 18, had not been cared for adequately and suffered an “alarming weight loss” before being admitted to hospital; in the opinion of the doctor treating him, he also exhibited signs of having been “punched and deliberately struck”.
Despite these concerns, the council was still appointed as the young man’s legal guardian by the sheriff, who said that since his discharge from intensive care two years ago, he had been “appropriately cared for”.
Recalling the worrying chain of events, the boy’s dad told the Advertiser: “Just days after his 18th birthday, his health deteriorated significantly and he was admitted to an intensive care ward.
“He was left in an absolutely horrific condition and it’s the worst I’ve ever seen anyone look in my life.
“The doctor said he wouldn’t see it through the night. And he’d lost a hell of a lot of weight; he couldn’t hold his head up.
“When you look at my photographs, it’s obvious he should have been taken to hospital beforehand.”
The case was not referred to the police and there was no investigation.
In his written judgement, the sheriff outlined how the young man sustained a brain injury as a young child and had complex neurological difficulties which meant he could not walk or feed himself.
It said he had complex dietary requirements and lost weight easily.
The Advertiser understands the young man had contracted pneumonia, which accelerated his rapid weight loss.
The sheriff said the young man only weighed about 34kg to 36kg (between 5st 5lb and 5st 9lb) and eating adequately and regularly was very important.
He was discharged from hospital in February 2017 and was moved to a different care setting. He then returned to the family home eight months later, with 24-hour assistance.
His father’s health had improved but he had been left with “significant disability” and was unable to care for his son without considerable help.
The sheriff heard that the father’s behaviour with care staff meant that carers eventually refused to visit the house and later appointed the council as long-term legal guardians.
His dad said: “When my boy was first taken away from me, I awoke from a seven-week coma to discover he was gone – can you imagine how that feels?
“They were saying I was aggressive and abusive towards carers and social work staff but that is nonsense.
“I’m desperate to get my son home; he had everything he knew taken away from him when he went into care.
“People who come by and see me are always asking when he is coming back home.
“It’s very overpowering. He knows what home is. He does feel home, he knows home.
“I can’t cry any more. I’ve cried so many times, and I’ve felt so weak.
“He’s always been at my side 24 hours a day; I gave my whole life up for my son, because he needs it. And I enjoyed sharing it with him. I enjoyed sharing every single day.”
The young man’s dad, who has been living in accommodation with 24-hour support since the end of last year, has been unable to reach agreement with the council on arrangements to see his son – but remains hopeful they will be reunited.
He added: “I have a meeting lined up with the social work department and we’ll see what happens from there.
“Since people have seen the condition my son was in when he was in hospital I have had a lot of support, with many people emailing me to say they’d never seen anyone left in such a horrible state.”
Airdrie MSP Alex Neil has been involved with the family for 12 years.
He told the Advertiser: “I don’t believe the council should have care [of the young man] because the last time he ended up at death’s door.
“The council used their powers in a dictatorial way to stop people like me checking on my constituent and I think that is totally outrageous and unacceptable.
“They see it as a power struggle between them and the family; that’s not how these things should work.
“The only thing that should matter in this case is the interests of this young boy.”
In a statement, North Lanarkshire Council said: “We utterly reject any suggestion that the individual was in any way mistreated while in our care.
“The sheriff had full access to all the relevant background information; he determined that North Lanarkshire Council should replace the individual’s father as the appropriate welfare guardian.
“We will continue to provide everyone placed in our care with the highest standards of support and attention.”
Child protection expert Tam Baillie said: “Whoever comes across a child who is at risk or there is evidence of abuse or neglect should contact either social work or the police.”
Mr Baillie, the vice-chairman of Child Protection Committees Scotland, said: “Where there is evidence of abuse or neglect then the police should always be involved at the earliest opportunity. That goes for not just children but for adults as well.”
He said there were vulnerable groups, such as children with learning or communication disabilities, who were more susceptible to neglect and abuse.
Mr Baillie said: “We have to pay close attention to those children. These are additional challenges as well as making sure children are safe in whatever environment they are staying in.”