Rightful Lives

“This is how every single person like me suffered at those institutions.”

An Autistic Artist

Photo of Alexis Quinn wearing a white shirt.

In our latest blog, Alexis Quinn discusses her five top PBS bugbears, their impact on people and practical solutions for staff 👇

rightfullives.org.uk/blog/top-fiv...

“One family member told us that they didn’t always feel their relative was safe and staying on the Mitford Unit actually made them feel worse.”

Even the so-called specialist units can’t get it right it seems.

www.cqc.org.uk/press-releas...

Subscribe to #AnnaFreud newsletter to be the first to see new animation with @aquinnunbroken.bsky.social
We are passionate about neuro-diversity informed practice and we are asking professionals to un-think and re-think about seclusion and long term segregation
www.annafreud.org/training/hea...

Really pleased to have collaborated with such brilliant thought leaders to critique the idea that enforced isolation (LTS) can be therapeutic. Our new paper suggest solitary confinement has no place in modern health care. 1/4

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

With ministers on resignation watch, welfare cuts could be make or break for Starmer Liz Kendall, work and pensions secretary, is next week expected to announce savings of £5bn a year. Sound the alarms, writes John Rentoul

With ministers ‘on resignation watch’, welfare cuts could be make or break for Keir Starmer

www.independent.co.uk/voices/nhs-e...

NO cruel cuts to benefits The Government is planning “catastrophic” cuts that experts say will force disabled people into poverty. Don’t think that’s right? Add your name now.

act.38degrees.org.uk/act/no-cruel...

My daughter created this image to depict how she felt going to school as a dual heritage autistic person... and why, in the end, she refused to attend. Heartbreaking. #EBSA

YouTube video by Doughty Street Chambers A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 - Autism and learning disability

In case you haven’t seen it yet, here is the video of the webinar about the Mental Health Bill that we co-hosted with Oliver Lewis at Doughty Street Chambers last week.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM53...

A wonderful evening hosted by @doughtystreet.bsky.social on the impact of the forthcoming Mental Health Bill. What happens with the removal of learning disability & autism when there’s no community provision?

Utterly horrific.

t.co/fggPrPZOaL

A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 A deep dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024Detention and treatmentThursday 27th February 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30Location: Online via ZoomIn the second webinar of this series Sophy Miles and Elizabeth Cl...

Rightful Lives is co-hosting an event on 4th March at Doughty Street Chambers. It will look at the implications of the Mental Health Bill for autistic people and people with learning disabilities. Why not come along!

www.doughtystreet.co.uk/event/deep-d...

Trauma in the Name of Treatment: Multiple Studies Confirm Adverse Experiences in Psychiatric Hospitalization A comprehensive review of psychiatric hospitalizations reveals widespread harm, from coercion to retraumatization, challenging the dominant narrative of therapeutic intent.

Trauma in the Name of Treatment. We can vouch for that…
www.madinamerica.com/2025/02/trau...

Dear Government. Forcing more & more disabled people into poverty does not save the taxpayer money.
What did you think disabled people do with money? Stash it under the mattress?
It goes back into the economy.
Cold, malnourished people become very ill & cost the NHS a fortune.
Please get a grip.

PLP lawyer Aoife O'Reilly and Ellen Clifford in front of the Royal Courts of Justice.

🚨 BREAKING: We are delighted to share that our client
@ellenclifford.bsky.social has won her case against the DWP over an unlawful consultation held on reforms tightening the #WorkCapabilityAssessment.

These reforms would lead to over 400,000 people being worse off by at least £416 a month.

Our gentle reminder that there's ~ 2 million autistic ppl in the UK. Research shows we are less likely to commit crime than other ppl, on average.
Having an autism diagnosis is irrelevant to whether they are a criminal. It's like saying, "They have size 8 feet - let's fear all ppl with size 8 feet"

Cover of Community Living magazine with the title in yellow capital letters above a photo of Sammy

'There's no better way to show Sammy’s legacy and worth than by giving others opportunities he'd have excelled in'

Patricia Alban tells @samcarlisle.bsky.social about her creative son @communitylivingmagazine.com - new articles next week.

Also @maryohara1.bsky.social @georgejulian.bsky.social...

Controversial face-down restraint still being used for mental health patients in England Dangerous practice was supposed to be phased out but new data reveals thousands of incidents every year

Without Accountability, nothing will change…

www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

YouTube video by NHS England Workforce, Training and Education The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism

#Oliverscampaign
This powerful new animation has been co-designed co-produced with autistic people & people with a learning disability It is aimed at helping staff and employers across health & social care to understand Oliver's Training & why it is so vitally important
youtu.be/ouhKSOGm49g?...

Our statement regarding a paper published in the British Journal of Psychiatry
rightfullives.org.uk/blog/stateme...

Human Rights Day 2024: Open Letter | BIHR Read our letter to the Prime Minister and political leaders, signed by over 70 organisations from across the UK.

#HumanRightsDay

Not all people are seen as fully human, with little recognition that rights are relevant to proper care, support, advocacy - and an everyday life.

Reminder here, inc @learningdiseng.bsky.social @cchangescotland.bsky.social @rightfullives.bsky.social
www.bihr.org.uk/our-work/our...

This grim article shows why institutionalised abuse of people with learning disabilities & autistic citizens drags on. Evidence is clear: long term segregation is harmful. This is a squalid example of a profession protecting its own back & not caring about patients www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Baroness Hollins' final report: My heart breaks - solitary confinement in hospital has no therapeutic benefit for people with a learning disability and autistic people

#Oliverscampaign
I fully stand by @BaronessHollins & this report
PLEASE SHARE

Baroness Hollins' final report: My heart breaks - solitary confinement in hospital has no therapeutic benefit for people with a learning disability and autistic people

www.gov.uk/government/p...

I hope I live long enough to get my autistic grandson out of hospital Dorothy Lafferty says doctors long ago agreed her grandson does not need to be cared for in hospital.

Heart breaking.
This human rights scandal just goes on and on...
Imagine losing your daughter to brain cancer and then your grandson, who is struggling with the loss of his mother, to a bloody hospital.
Please BBC News show this lady some respect. 'Granny' FFS 😡

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Stolen Lives motion unanimously passed in the Senedd.

Thank you to Hefin David MS, Sioned Williams MS and Mark Isherwood MS.

At last, the inhumane hospitalisation of people with learning disabilities and autistic people has been recognised by the WG as the human rights injustice that it is.

Could be a game changer 👇👇👇👇

All eyes on the ward: the use and impact of surveillance in inpatient mental health settings https://buff.ly/49aqQO8

"The evidence base does not support the use of surveillance technologies and intended outcomes are not being achieved."

NHS England » Culture of care standards for mental health inpatient services Including those for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

NHSE Culture of Care standards presented today at #RRNConf24. Remember the Mental Health Act Code of Practice says that “care, support and treatment given under the Act should be given in accordance with up-to-date national guidance…”

www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/cu...

CCTV shows pupils abused and locked in padded room Police have said staff will not face action over abuse of autistic children shown in videos leaked to the BBC.

Utterly shameful yet it’s so widespread with no sign of it stopping.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Leading the NHS: proposals to regulate NHS managers

The consultation to regulate NHS managers has opened. You can respond directly here: www.gov.uk/government/c...