'My son's carer was asked to demonstrate how he bites people'

A distressing incident occurred when a mother was asked to demonstrate, via a Zoom call, how her disabled son behaves when he is upset, including how he bites others. This request took place during a three-hour session conducted by an independent company reviewing the care of her son, Timothy Jones, who is 31 years old and has severe learning difficulties. Timothy had been a patient at Muckamore Abbey Hospital for 12 years, where his mother, Dawn Jones, later testified that he suffered abuse.

The Belfast Trust has issued an apology to the Jones family and is collaborating with the company responsible, Liaison Care, to ensure that similar situations are not repeated. Dawn described the meeting as “intrusive and re-traumatising” and felt that the panel involved clearly lacked an understanding of her son’s traumatic history at the hospital. She expressed her shock, saying, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were asking us to act out how he bites people. There was no sensitivity, I got quite upset which didn’t seem to register with them. It was dreadful.”

Liaison Care, a private consultancy firm based in England, is conducting reviews of domiciliary care packages in Northern Ireland, particularly for adults who were transferred from Muckamore Abbey Hospital. The company’s website notes that if their services do not achieve cost savings, no charges will be applied. Sophie Spence, Timothy’s specialist service manager from the charity Positive Futures, joined Dawn on the call from her office and criticized the process. She shared that “alarm bells were ringing” from the beginning, especially since Timothy received written communication even though he cannot read or write. Spence was particularly upset by the request to demonstrate Timothy’s distress behaviors on camera, calling it unreasonable and stating, “We were really shocked by this request.”

Agnes Lunny, CEO of Positive Futures, voiced strong disapproval of the way these reviews were carried out remotely over Zoom. She highlighted the already high levels of stress experienced by families affected by Muckamore Abbey’s inquiry and called the request for staff to act out Timothy’s behavior “appalling.” Lunny also expressed concern that the company’s approach seemed focused on cutting costs, as reflected on their website where they promise clients won’t be charged unless savings are made. Several families and charities have reportedly reached out to her, worried that the company’s motivation is primarily financial. While the independent think tank, The Nuffield Trust, acknowledged that health and social care savings are a priority across the UK, they emphasized the importance of centering the individual in any review process. Liaison Care declined to comment on individual cases but reaffirmed its commitment to support Belfast Trust with any further investigations.

Muckamore Abbey Hospital, located in Antrim and managed by Belfast Health Trust, provided specialized care for adults with special needs. In 2017, a major police investigation was launched following allegations of ill-treatment within the hospital. The inquiry’s final public hearing took place in early March. Although the hospital was originally scheduled to close in June 2024, delays have occurred because alternative community accommodations for some remaining patients had yet to be secured. The Belfast Trust said it was “disappointed to learn of Ms Jones’ experience with Liaison Care and we sincerely apologise.” They explained that the independent reviews were intended to reassure that the care needs of complex cases were being properly met. The Department of Health confirmed trusts had engaged an outside firm to assist with assessing care management plans for service users with complex needs and underscored that such reviews are a normal part of trust operations. They also noted they had received questions about this work and had asked trusts for further details but encouraged anyone with concerns about individual assessments to contact their local trust directly

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