File on 4 highlights inappropriate detention of people with a learning disability and autistic people

Today (4th March 2025), an episode of File on 4 explores how people with a learning disability and autistic people are being inappropriately detained in mental health hospitals. 

Kasibba*, who is autistic and has a learning disability, was detained in a mental health hospital when she was 7 years old. Kasibba remained in hospital for 45 years – including spending 25 years in long-term segregation. It took 9 years for Kasibba to finally be discharged from hospital into the community. She is now living in her own home with support. 

The programme also shares the experiences of 17-year-old Amelia*, who is autistic and was detained as a 14-year-old, and of Maeve, who is autistic and has a learning disability. Amelia experienced poor and invasive care which has caused her trauma and she has been detained in long-term segregation for 2 years. Maeve has been sectioned for half of her adult life and, like Amelia, was sectioned as a child after not receiving the right support. 

Jacqui Shurlock, CEO of the Challenging Behaviour Foundation said: 

Kasibba, Amelia, and Maeve’s experiences highlight the devastating impact of inappropriate detention.  Inappropriate detention of people with learning disabilities and autistic people in Mental Health Hospitals is still happening and will continue to happen until there is sufficient community support.  

Kasibba is now living in her own home with the right support, after almost 50 years in hospital, but there are still too many people – including Amelia and Maeve – who are stuck in hospital.  

We would like to see the Government start their intended shift from hospital to community by prioritising people who have been inappropriately detained in hospital for many years.

There are currently 2065 people with a learning disability and autistic people detained in hospitals, including 220 children – and in the 14 years since abuse was uncovered at Winterbourne View hospital, target after target to reduce these numbers and instead ensure that people with a learning disability and autistic people can get the right support in their local communities has been missed.  

The Mental Health Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, will stop people with a learning disability and autistic people being detained under section 3 for treatment, but the government have said that this change to the law will not be enforced until there is sufficient community support. The CBF is calling for a clear plan – coproduced with people with lived experience, families, and those working within the different parts of the system – setting out what steps will be taken to develop this support, accompanied by the resources to make it happen. 

*names have been changed for anonymity 

File on 4 Investigates – Locked up: Woman held in mental health facility for 45 years will be broadcast 8pm 4th March 2025. You can listen to the episode on demand by clicking the link below. 

File on 4

An article about the episode can be found here.

Kasibba’s story also shows the barriers faced by people with a learning disability and autistic people who are non-verbal and who do not have family who can speak up for them, and highlights the importance of independent advocacy to ensure that people with a learning disability and autistic people have their views and best interests represented, and in particular the importance of non-instructed advocacy for people who are non-verbal. For more information, see our work on advocacy.

Advocacy

Family Support Service 

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this statement, you can call the Family Support Service on 0300 666 0126 

Or email us at support@thecbf.org.uk 

We are open at the following times: 

Monday – Thursday: 9am – 5pm
Friday: 9am – 3pm 

We offer information about challenging behaviour to anyone who provides support to a child, young person or adult with a severe learning disability.  

Please note we are a small support service so you may not be able to get support straight away. We will support families with urgent concerns as a priority. 

Professionals are also welcome to contact the CBF.