Moving closer to family and less restrictive care

Yazeed is 53 and has lived in a residential care home for 8 years due to a mental health condition. The home is in a city he is not familiar with and away from his family. This placement was arranged by his local authority but the family wanted to be closer together, in the city where Yazeed was born. Yazeed’s sister, Maira, asked the local authority to review her brother’s care package, including whether residential care was the right option for Yazeed’s needs. Six months later they had not heard back.

Maira phoned the Care Rights UK helpline to talk about how they could encourage the local authority to act. A Care Rights UK helpline worker talked Maira through the duties the local authority owed to Yazeed under the Care Act, to ensure they promoted his wellbeing holistically, including his social, emotional and psychological wellbeing. The local authority also had a duty to protect Yazeed’s right to family life, under the Human Rights Act. The local authority also had to act in Yazeed’s best interests and consider what would be the ‘least restrictive’ outcome for him under the Mental Capacity Act.

Maira used this information to make a complaint to the local authority. This resulted in Yazeed moving closer to family and friends. In addition, the local authority agreed that, rather than a residential placement, moving Yazeed into his own supported living flat was more appropriate to meet his needs.

Maira said:

“Thank you once again for the invaluable work that you do which in my brother’s case has transformed his life.”