My grandson Steven, an amazing 6-year-old desperately needs your help!

Steven lives with his mum, dad and sister in Abronhill, Cumbernauld. Steven faces significant challenges daily, having been diagnosed with Autism, a severe learning disability, and PICA, which is an eating disorder that leads him to consume non-food items with potentially harmful health consequences.

Steven attends Redburn school in Cumbernauld and the deputy head teacher describes how Steven has lots of sensory seeking and destructive behaviours, which require 24-hour support, causing her staff and Stevens parents to be on high alert constantly. Recently Steven has been eating the plaster on the walls of his bedroom overnight, which his parents believe is the cause of a continuous sore throat. He also exposed some electrical wires – which is clearly dangerous and needs an urgent response.

That is just a small insight into the issues Steven and his family face day to day. He has an older sister, who is 8 years old and seems to cope amazingly well with the restricted environment she has to live in to support her brothers needs. They currently reside in private rental accommodation in Hornbeam Road, Abronhill. Because it is a private rental, adaptations cannot be made to the property, to safely support Steven and take a little pressure off his parents. Simple things like locks on windows, special padding on his bedroom walls to stop him eating it. 

Steven’s mum Leigh has been on the housing waiting list for many years and they really are no further forward. The Occupational Therapist involved in Steven’s care has advised that they require a one storey accommodation, due to Steven having no awareness of danger, he would not hesitate to climb out of a top floor window – seeking that sensory experience that drives him continuously throughout the day. Steven's basic human right to live, learn and grow up in a secure and safe environment, just isn’t being realised.

Steven has a lot of people in his corner. He has the Occupational Therapist, social work, Jamie Hepburn MSP and Redburn School who have all supplied supporting statements to NLC to stress the urgency of his housing situation and the dangers he is exposed to every day that he is housed inappropriately. However, there is no movement on this. The family require a 3-bedroom house on one level and Abronhill housing association state they don’t have any stock of that kind. NLC essentially say they have nothing available. This isn’t acceptable, my grandson is in danger and his behaviours pose a serious risk to his health. If they were housed by NLC or Abronhill housing association, the OT would get his bedroom fully adapted and he could finally be safe!

I really hope you can support Steven’s plight. My fear now is, you may soon be reading about an avoidable tragedy of a 6-year-old boy with Autism.

Give Steven Murphy a voice!