We'd like to understand how to improve advocacy. Please can you complete this survey?

[Gareth_Mencap]

Are you a family carer of an adult with learning disabilities or autism, who is currently or has even been an in-patient in a mental health, learning disability or autism specialist hospital?

As part of an NHSE funded project reviewing advocacy for autistic people and people with learning disabilities in hospital settings, the Challenging Behaviour Foundation are exploring family carers’ experiences both acting as an advocate for their relatives and also of advocacy that is provided to their relatives.

tinyurl.com/ksxvyhhp

Please complete our survey to share your experiences of advocacy and how you think the advocacy system could be improved for in-patients.

[Mybestfriends]

Make sure anyone dealing with or Advocating gets to know the relative inpatient, Trust & feeling real Empathy & keep to the Same person that started out Supporting, Advocating the relative inpatient. My adult Son was an inpatient he has Add, DD, D & Schizophrenia, recently diagnosed ASD under Camhs. He was frightened going in, hadn't eaten, no food offered, Cold & Beds with no Warm Quilt or Blankets, he was only one without a TV, other Patients can & do enter their Room & say things to worry/trauma them more. Meds to take & left to deal with Sensations by themselves, Son called me so many times worried he was going to be hurt by Patients he says said things to him. I actually had to call his Ward a number of times, because he was worried about going to sleep & someone hurting him. Food not good & he didn't eat much, so I bought him some savoury snacks. Only one therapy session there in 6 weeks he was inpatient. On Discharge he had a Depot Injection, he was sensitive to & caused an infection, had to come off that Medication. Still today not right & Phychosis, self harm off & on. Nightmare.