'It's patronising to refuse adults a housing choice'

Families of adults with learning disabilities are calling on the government to save accommodation where people with similar conditions can live together.

Antonia Field, along with other family members, campaigned to successfully save assisted living facility Furlong Close in Wiltshire.

She said it had given people like her brother "fulfilled, independent lives, lived to their best possible way".

But the Care Quality Commission [CQC] wants the sector to move away from these types of set ups, saying they are too often separate from communities.

One relative said it was "patronising and hypocritical" to not let people choose where they want to live.

The campaign group, called Our Life Our Choice, wants the CQC to change the wording of its policies to allow more sites like Furlong Close, in Rowde, to be created.

However the CQC is standing by its policy not to register any more congregate campus-type models.

It says the sites do not provide the access to the options, dignity and independence that most people take for granted.

Mark Steele's relative David has lived in Furlong Close for more than 20 years.

"He was traumatised by the attempted closure," said Mr Steele.

"He is now contented and happily living in the place where he's lived for 20 years.

"I think it's patronising and hypocritical for people to be given the choice to live as they age in retirement homes and villages, and people in David's position to be refused the choice to live in a place just like that because other people think it's not in his best interest."

Ms Field's brother Robin has lived at Furlong Close since it opened 30 years ago.

She said he and other residents had "had lives that they could not possible have had stuck at home with their parents" or living in a more traditional housing set up.

"They're a safe, familiar environment," said Trish Gange, whose daughter Katie has lived there for 14 years, since she was 30.

"They live in their individual bungalows, just a small group in each one, and they are like a second family to each other.

"There is always going to be a need for something like this. Disabled people are not going to disappear," she said.

Ms Gange added: "It's very, very short-sighted to close them down.

"Hopefully by saving [Furlong Close] we've made people realise that it does work."

The group headed to Westminster on Tuesday to speak to MPs and to try to change CQC policy.

East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger met the families, and said: "We need to change the guidance that the CQC has to support these what are called congregate settings, where people live in communities rather than being put in with the general population, which often isn't the right place for them."

Melksham and Devizes MP Brian Mathew, who was also in Westminster, added: "It's good to see some other members of Parliament here today.

"So I'm hoping that I can coordinate with them and we can try and apply some pressure and try and make that happen."

The CQC maintains there are better ways to support adults with autism and learning disabilities.

A spokesperson said: "Autistic people and people with a learning disability are as entitled to live an ordinary life as any other citizen.

"We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted."

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