Bring Claire, back home to us in Swansea

Abertawe bro Morgannwg Health Board, bring Claire who has autism and challenging behaviour, back home to us in Swansea, where she wants to be with us, her family.

Our daughter Claire, 20, has autism. Sometimes, when Claire is anxious or stressed her behaviour can deteriorate and last year the hospital unit she was in placed her on section 3 under the Mental Health Act. Despite her not staying with us she could still see us when she wanted, and she came home to us 262 times out of 325 days where we accessed the community and we took her swimming, ate out together and she loved playing with her puppy Jonjo. She even did the Race for Life on July 27th in Swansea. It’s not always been easy but she was close to us and happy to be able to come home as regularly as she could. She and her sister and brother had a fantastic relationship here, and all care so much for each other.

At the end of July we received some news which would rip our family apart.The health board said that they didn’t have the facilities to care for Claire in Swansea anymore and moved her over 200 miles away to a unit in Brighton – that’s why we have this petition to get Claire back home in Swansea, close to her family.

It now takes us over five hours each-way to visit Claire. When we get there we are just allowed a two-hour supervised visit. It is upsetting, heartbreaking and completely exhausting, especially for Claire’s brother and sister.

Over 200,000 people signed a petition for Josh Wills, a 13 year-old living with autism, to be brought home and cared for near his family instead of hundreds of miles away in Birmingham. The petition brought Josh’s case to the attention of the public and the media, forcing the local NHS to create a new care plan for Josh.We’ve spoken to Josh’s parents and have been inspired by their campaign. We want to do the same for Claire. They have been extremely helpful and supportive.

The NHS team say that the unit she was in couldn’t manage her behaviour, and that was why she needed a specialist unit, but she is now in a medium secure mental health unit hours away from her family, friends and community – basically everything she knows and loves.She needs to be closer to her family, to her friends and to her dog – people who she knows and trusts are the things that keep her well and happy.

The Government promised people with autism would be given the best possible care in their communities. Instead Claire has been severely let down by the institutions who are supposed to be helping us and she needs to be back with her family where she belongs.

Please sign our petition to bring Claire back to Wales, her family and the people that love her. Click here to visit page.