(photo : Autistic 17 year old Jamie Henry 'giving away' his proud mum Sylvia in September 2015. The following October he was sectioned in low-secure Woodland View Hospital, Irvine. He is still there.)

Dear Supporters

Sylvia Shirley McMahon is tired.

The Paisley mum has been fighting to get her 23-year old autistic son Jamie out of an Ayrshire Hospital since he was sectioned there in October 2016 after he 'trashed' unsuitable accommodation at Moorpark Place, Kilbirnie. She desperately wants him to be returned to the kind of shared, supported accommodation in which he flourished at Netherton, Ayrshire, under Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, before he left Kersland Additional Support Needs School, Paisley, in 2015.

But there is nothing like that available for autistic adults.

Although Jamie was ready to leave hospital in February 2017, he had nowhere to go. For the next 3 years he was a delayed discharge whilst various options were considered but deemed unsuitable due to his assessed need for a high level of support. He communicates non-verbally, so that staff who are not familiar with him often fail to understand him. 

At a younger age in the family home Jamie went into crisis only 3 times per year. However, as with Kyle and Gordon, the restrictive environment of a secure hospital, the lack of stimulation, of contact with his family, and of suitable carers, have exacerbated his behaviour. Jamie is now a very strong young man. He has recently been re-sectioned and transferred to the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit on the same site after 'inappropriately' expressing his frustration with a female member of staff - a second time.

Sylvia is confident that, in a suitable environment with opportunities for sport and exercise, Jamie can again live safely in the community and flourish. However the Irvine hospital is shutting her out from decision-making. Her local Councillor has been very helpful, but social services have not.

Sylvia has never been given the support and training which she would need to care for Jamie, especially now that he is an adult.

We are delighted to be able to support Sylvia, through empathy and taking up some of the burden of campaigning for a suitable home for Jamie.

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Thank you

Barry Gale