Thoughts on the long history of abuse against disabled people and what we might do to reduce it.

1. Retracing our Steps
thoughts on Winterbourne View
Dr Simon Duffy of The Centre for Welfare Reform
on 7th March 2013 for the NWTDT

2. “Goodness, who knew...
...how shocking.”
...how shocking.”

4. 1.What history teaches us
2.Where we are today
3.What we need to do

5. 1. What history teaches us

6. What were the conditions
of moral collapse?

10. Who became the victim?

12. What were the steps that
evil men took?

14. 2. Where we are today

21. The relative risk by different environments

23. A small sample from a report to be published shortly.
Professional assessments of 6 provide some stark and illuminating information about patterns of
institutionalisation. 5 of the group are women and their ages ranged from 28 to 56. The average
length of time spent in institutions was 19 years, with 3 of the group having spent more than half
of their lives in institutions.
People entered the institutions at a very young age, ranging from 14 to 20. Institutionalised
placements last on average just less than 2 years. On average each person had been in 10
different institutional settings, including:
• Residential schools (n=3)
• Acute hospitals (n=3)
• Residential colleges (n=1)
• Low secure hospitals (n=6)
• Specialist facilities (n=6)
• Residential homes (n=5)
All six had been victims of abuse, including:
• Neglect (n=2)
• Sexual abuse (n=6)
• Physical abuse (n=5)
• Financial abuse (n=1)

25. In 2010 there were about 11,000 people with learning
disabilities placed in out of area placements.
Typical cost was about £160,000 per person, which is just
under £2 billion.
In 1968 there were 65,000 people with learning
disabilities in institutions at a total cost of less £2 billion.
We have failed to close the institutions - 1 person in 6 are
still living in them - but now they are private institutions.
We now spend the same money as we did, but on just a
sixth of the same people.

26. 3. What we need to do

28. Institutions are very unsafe
1. Devalued lives - self-expression and personal development
threaten institutional thinking
2. No freedom or control - it is very hard to be heard when you
have no authority
3. Impoverishment - economic power is nullified
4. Sheltered, but homeless - a home is more than a roof - vital
to control privacy and security
5. ‘Care’ not support - ‘care’ already assumes the passivity and
lower value of the person ‘in care’.
6. Disconnected- it is other citizens who report abuse and it is
structures of power within institutions that make that harder
7. Loveless - the shift to focusing on abuse not crime is a
symptom of institutional thinking

29. Citizenship is vital to safety
1.Direction - Its risky if my life lacks meaning and value
2.Freedom - Its risky if I cannot direct my life, communicate or
be listened to.
3.Money - Its risky if I lack money or if I cannot control my own
money.
4.Home - Its risky if I cannot control who I live with, my home
and my privacy.
5.Help - Its risky if I’ve no one to help me and if I cannot control
who helps me.
6.Life - Its risky if I am not a valued member of my community.
7.Love - Its risky to have no friends or family.

30. Citizenship is the right goal

32. Personalised Support

36. 1. Human rights - not just services
2. Clear entitlements - not confusion
3. Early support - not crisis
4. Equal access - not institutional care
5. Choice & control - not dependence
6. Fair incomes - not insecurity
7. Fair taxes - not injustice
8. Sustainability - local growth