And that's Another Story

The Care Quality Commission released their report on homes run by the Castlebeck care homes firm. Following the abuses at their premises as exposed by Panorama, it comes as no surprise that many of the issues are systemic. The report on the home closest to us in Coventry makes especially grim reading: locked doors, visits by appointment, rules and restraint. More than ever, it should show us that hospital style services are an unacceptable model of long term care for people with learning disabilities (for anybody, probably).

Anyway, here's another funny old story I was thinking about:

It was a warm day in the 1990’s. One of those days when the kids are off school and everyone seems to be getting a train out of the midlands. That was what the five of us were doing; me and four people with learning disabilities*. Here we were, in the community, not very long out of the hospital and if we had the ‘care in the community’ look found questionable by some at that time, none of us minded.

 We were going for a day trip to the countryside and we were all excited. I was heady with newfound responsibilities, William was anxious that there should  be cake, Robin hugged himself not liking to be jostled by passers by, Richard wasn’t showing it but we all knew just by the jumper he had picked out he was up for a good time. Every group has a leader though, and ours was Maureen.  She had led the way out of the house, she was first off the bus, and I had held out a protective arm as she edged close to the edge of the platform.

The train pulled in, and our door was opened by a guard. People in front of us got on and I ushered our party together, worried about  Robin’s need for personal space. Maureen strode to the front of the queue, people giving way to the presence of an older lady moving with a sense of entitlement and a red handbag. I was about to board when the door slammed before me. I wasn’t too worried. I explained to the guard that we had become separated and could he let us on? Please? Oh but please?

The train was full and about to depart. No more room. All right then, please could he let Maureen off? Because as he could see, we were travelling together? Please? I was a carer for people with learning disabilities so he could understand…Please?

He blew his whistle, and the train pulled away in slow motion, going in the direction of Penzance carrying a woman who had never been to the corner shop alone, had no money and no verbal communication skills even if she has possessed a mobile phone that hadn’t been invented yet. William, Robin, Richard and Maureen were all waving. I wasn’t.

The station master was very understanding. Maureen was finally located just before Bristol. She had been sitting with two elderly ladies who had shared their flasks of tea and hadn’t thought to inform the guard of the presence of their new traveling companion. Some time later she was returned to us. My relief was overwhelming. ‘Maureen’, I exclaimed, ‘ are you all right? I’m so sorry. You must be hungry.’ She wasn’t listening to me though. She had opened her handbag and was fishing inside. Out came a package wrapped neatly in a serviette. She handed it to William, smiling. He took it, grumpy from waiting, but then beaming with gratitude. ‘Chocolate Cake!’ And so it was that his day at least had gone to plan.

*names and some details have been changed to preserve confidentiality.