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Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews: CBF statement

CQC have published their learning from the 2024-25 IC(E)TR programme: read our response

Please be aware that some of the content of this statement may be distressing. If you are a family carer and have been affected by any of the issues raised in this statement, please contact the CBF’s Family Support Service – further details and resources can be found at the bottom of this statement. 

On 7th July 2026, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published their report on the Independent Care (Education) and Treatment Review (IC(E)TR) programme, “A Way Out”. 

Gemma Grant, Policy Lead at the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, commented:  

 Placing people with a learning disability in solitary confinement, where they are denied meaningful human contact—sometimes for years on end—causes significant and lasting harm. Despite clear evidence that long-term seclusion has no therapeutic benefit and causes damage in both the short and long term, the CQC report shows that far too little action has been taken to remove the barriers preventing meaningful change in how people with a learning disability are supported.

Every year the government delays investment in a skilled workforce and local community-based support is another year in which it sanctions the inhumane treatment of people with learning disabilities and their families. The current 10-year timescale for implementing reforms to the Mental Health Act is unacceptable. This must be urgently reconsidered. 

The IC(E)TR programme was set up to address the high numbers of people with a learning disability and autistic people in long-term segregation (meaning that a person has been in enforced isolation for 48 hours or more). 

Baroness Hollins’ 2023 report My Heart Breaks, which looked at what could be learnt from these reviews, highlighted the serious harms of being in long-term segregation (and the harms of other restrictive practices) on people with learning disabilities and autistic people. You can read our response to Baroness Hollins’ report here:

CBF response to Baroness Hollins’ final report

Following this, the Department of Health and Social Care commissioned CQC to continue the IC(E)TR programme. This week, they have published their learning from this programme – finding that although IC(E)TRs can help individuals to leave long-term segregation, there are serious systemic barriers which still need to be overcome. 

This report, like Baroness Hollins’ report, found that where the environment of long-term segregation fails to meet needs, the distress that this causes (for example, behaviours that challenge) can be used to justify keeping someone in long-term segregation. This vicious cycle can only be prevented by ensuring that environments meet needs, that the person and their family are fully involved in creating and implementing person-centred support plans, and that staff have the right training and skills to be able to support and communicate with the person. 

The report also highlights the significant systemic barriers to leaving long-term segregation and being discharged from hospital – in particular, not being able to put in place the bespoke community support that is needed because there isn’t anything available. During the Mental Health Act 2025’s passage through Parliament, the Government committed to co-developing a roadmap towards developing community support with people with lived experience and other stakeholders; CQC’s report underscores the importance of developing this roadmap quickly and ensuring that it is well-resourced. Without this crucial investment in local community support, including workforce, people with learning disabilities and autistic people will continue to be subjected to inhumane conditions behind locked doors. 

In its accompanying report, the IC(E)TR External Oversight Group highlighted that long-term segregation is not just a practice issue, but is also an issue of human rights, culture, and safeguarding. As of June 2026, there are 71 people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic in long-term segregation, but there are significantly more who are in hospital and who are subject to restrictive practices. The most recent statistics show that in April 2026, more than 8500 restrictive interventions were used against people with a learning disability and autistic people in hospital – nearly 40% of all restrictive interventions used in hospitals, despite only 17% of people in hospital having a learning disability or being autistic. The harms of these restrictive practices are well-documented, but their continued use shows that there is still much further to go to uphold the rights of people with a learning disability and autistic people. 

These reports set out learning from the reviews conducted over the past two years, but this learning must be translated into action, or people with learning disabilities and autistic people will continue to be harmed.

Further information 

  • You can read the full report here 
  • You can read the IC(E)TR External Oversight Group’s report here 

Transforming Care – Data 

Restraint, seclusion and medication 

Support from the CBF  

Resources on our website  

The CBF has information available for anyone who has concerns about poor support or abuse which can be found here:  

When things go wrong  

Supporting organisations

Our Family Carer Advocacy Resource provides information for family carers about their, and their relative’s, rights, and how they can advocate for these. 

Family Carer Advocacy Resource

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 can provide information and support about the needs of your relative with a severe learning disability whose behaviour may be described as challenging. We can also help you navigate the complex health, education, and social care systems. 

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.