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Ben watched nervously as the carer led his vulnerable brother Simon out of their flat and onto the busy London street.  

The short walk to the coffee shop was a highlight of Simon’s day and it was the carer’s job to make sure he enjoyed his usual hot chocolate and a warm brownie safely.

Simon, not his real name, is 28 and autistic. He also has epilepsy and psychosis. He cannot do anything for himself and has no sense of danger.

The brothers have forged a strong bond ever since their mother died of cancer in 2020, but Ben’s life has been on hold ever since.

He has had to quit his career in finance to look after Simon’s every need; washing, clothing, feeding him. Making sure he is safe.

And as the front door swung closed, Ben texted the carer one more time, to be on the safe side.

“Make sure to always stay close to him, especially when crossing the street,” he wrote.

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The double tick of the WhatsApp message turned blue and the carer started typing. “Okay,” he replied.

But it would not be okay.

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Health secretary challenged by Sky News over social care

The person Ben had entrusted with his brother, the person whose job it was to care for him, failed him that day.

This is the story of what happened to Simon and what it might tell us about a social care industry in crisis, where councils are struggling to cope with demand – overspending by millions of pounds each year – and where the race to make savings could be putting vulnerable people at risk.

“There was knock on the door. Quite a frantic knock,” said Ben, recounting the events of that day in May.

“I went downstairs and realised it was Simon. He was sweating, huffing and puffing. Really upset. I looked into his eyes and could see that he was in a kind of sensory overload. I knew something was wrong.”

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Simon walked home alone and arrived looking ‘really upset’, his brother says

The carer was nowhere to be seen.

Simon, who should never be left alone, was right there on the doorstep. Alone.

Ben picked up his phone and messaged the carer. There was no reply. Then a few minutes later, the phone rang. It was the carer, sounding in a panic.

“Hello,” said Ben.

“I’m having an issue,” the carer said. “I went to the loo and asked him [Simon] to sit down and wait for me to come back.”

Ben could not believe what he was hearing. The carer had left Simon on his own in a busy coffee shop.

The carer continued: “I’ve searched everywhere.”

Ben said his brother wandered off when he realised no-one was with him. He left the coffee shop and turned onto the busy street.

Now completely alone, he crossed a busy road, with cars and buses all around him.

Then he walked alone for 15 minutes until he reached home.

Ben had so many questions, but in the months ahead he would struggle to get answers from the council and the care agency that supplied the carer.

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Ben has struggled to get answers from the council and care provider

Back in March 2024, Ben was told he could have a carer for 25 hours per week to help shoulder the pressure of looking after his brother.

His local authority, Camden Council, paid a provider called Hartwig Care.

Both Camden Council and Hartwig knew how vulnerable Simon was. It was all set out in a series of reports outlining his needs.

‘He could have been killed’

The first report was written by a social worker at the council, clearly stating Simon has “no road safety awareness and is at risk of wandering into the road if left unsupervised”.

The second report, written by a consultant neurologist, added: “Due to his cognitive disability, autism and epilepsy, he is not able to be alone without supervision.”

But on 1 May, the day the pair walked into the coffee shop, the carer sat Simon down and told him to stay where he was.

He then left him alone to go to the toilet, but when he returned Simon was nowhere to be seen.

It was a serious incident that Ben believes could have led to injury or even the death of his brother and calls into question the judgement and experience of the carer, who was costing the council £150 per day.

“The council said they would have to do an investigation. But I heard nothing back from the council,” said Ben.

Pic: iStock
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The council apologised and says it did a safeguarding review over the incident. Pic: iStock

A spokesperson for Camden Council said: “We would like to apologise to the resident and their family for the distress that this incident caused.

“Following this happening, we immediately began a safeguarding review with Hartwig to understand exactly what had happened and what they would do to ensure an incident like this does not happen in the future.”

Ben says: “The quality of care did not match the price that that they charged. And it just speaks to the greater issue about care in this country.”

A spokesperson for Hartwig Care said: “Due to client confidentiality, it is our policy not to provide comments on specific incidents involving our service users.

“However, we want to emphasise that client safety is always paramount in our service provision.”

Providers struggling to cope

Social care is at breaking point. Any council or care provider will tell you that.

The government knows it, which is why they have said they will reform social care and introduce a new National Care Service.

But the timetable for reform is unclear, despite councils appealing for more funding.

A staggering 81% of councils say they expect to overspend on their adult social care budgets this year, following a poll carried out by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care Services.

Nearly half (48%) of homecare providers say they cannot cope with current demand on services, according to the Homecare Association.

This could go some way to explain why complaints about adult social care, to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, have risen by a fifth since 2013.

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Care minister Stephen Kinnock says reforming social care will not be a quick process

Care minister Stephen Kinnock addressed delegates at the annual Children and Adult Social Care Conference in Liverpool recently.

He said the government was committed to reforming social care, but warned: “I’m not going to promise that change can be delivered overnight.”

The government knows social care reform will cost billions not millions at a time when public finances are in a fragile state.

Mr Kinnock told Sky News: “When we won the general election on the 4th of July, we inherited the worst fiscal environment since the Second World War. And so action has to be taken to get the public finances onto a stable footing.”

I suggested the government didn’t have the money to deliver on its promise to reform social care.

He said: “Until we fix the public finances we are not going to be in a position to invest properly in our public services. We’ve got to take it one step at a time.”

Government plans ‘unrealistic’

Melanie Williams, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care, described the government’s plan as “unrealistic” but said she remains “hopeful”.

She said the chancellor’s plan to hike national insurance contributions for employers would cost the social care sector and estimated £1.8bn.

“Providers have told us that they’re considering handing back services and some are saying they may have to exit the business,” she said.

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Melanie Williams says some care providers might be forced to quit the industry

“We know that reform will be expensive and require a long-term investment over time. But we need to make those small investments to get there.

“It is a big concern that there are so many priorities for government to face that they won’t be able to afford the changes.”

Read more from Sky News:
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Social care services for thousands ‘under threat’

Camden Council and Hartwig Care investigated the incident with Simon, but his brother Ben was not given a copy of the findings.

The council said the report had not been published online because the incident was “not serious enough”.

In August, Ben enlisted the help of a pro bono lawyer through a local disability charity who lodged a formal complaint with the council over its handling of the incident.

The council replied on 28 August and rejected the complaint, saying “the issues you have raised fall outside of our formal complaints process”.

Ben has been left with more questions than answers.

“I just want to know what happened and have confidence in knowing that it cannot happen again,” he says. “But I have been kept totally in the dark.”

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Woman handed criminal conviction despite ‘unlawful’ strip search by police in Greater Manchester

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Woman handed criminal conviction despite 'unlawful' strip search by police in Greater Manchester

Maria’s treatment by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was so shocking the chief constable described it as “undefendable” and yet a year after a high-profile inquiry found she had been “unlawfully” arrested and strip-searched, Maria now has a criminal conviction for the crime the inquiry said she should never have been arrested for.

Warning: This story includes graphic descriptions of strip searches and references to domestic violence.

The Baird Inquiry – named after its lead Dame Vera Baird – into GMP, published a year ago, found that the force made numerous unlawful arrests and unlawful strip searches on vulnerable women. A year on, the review has led to major changes in police processes.

Strip searches for welfare purposes, where the person is deemed at risk of harming themselves, are banned, and the mayor’s office told Sky News only one woman was intimately strip-searched to look for a concealed item by GMP last year.

Women had previously told Sky News the practice was being used by police “as a power trip” or “for the police to get their kicks”.

However, several women who gave evidence to the Baird Inquiry have told Sky News they feel let down and are still fighting for accountability and to get their complaints through the bureaucracy of a painfully slow system.

The case of Maria (not her real name) perhaps best illustrates how despite an inquiry pointing out her “terrible treatment”, she continues to face the consequences of what the police did.

'Maria' said she was treated like a piece of meat by GMP
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‘Maria’ said she was treated like a piece of meat by GMP

‘Treated like a piece of meat’

The story begins with an act of poor service. A victim of domestic violence, Maria went to the police to get keys off her arrested partner but was made to wait outside for five-and-a-half hours.

The Baird Inquiry said: “This domestic abuse victim, alone in a strange city, made 14 calls for police to help her.

“She was repeatedly told that someone would contact her, but nobody did. The pattern didn’t change, hour after hour, until eventually she rang, sobbing and angry.”

The police then arrested her for malicious communications, saying she’d sworn at staff on the phone.

Inside the police station, officers strip-searched her because they thought she was concealing a vape. Maria told Sky News she was “treated like a piece of meat”.

The Baird Inquiry says of the demeaning humiliation: “Maria describes being told to take all her clothes off and, when completely naked, to open the lips of her vagina so the police could see inside and to bend over and open her anal area similarly.”

GMP's Chief Constable Stephen Watson
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Chief Constable Stephen Watson said the actions towards Maria were ‘inexplicable’

After the inquiry found all this not only “terrible” but “unlawful”, Chief Constable Stephen Watson described the actions of his officers towards Maria as “an inexplicable and undefendable exercise of police power”.

He added: “We’ve done the wrong thing, in the wrong way and we’ve created harm where harm already existed.”

Despite all of this, the charges of malicious communication were not dropped. They hung over Maria since her arrest in May 2023. Then in March this year, magistrates convicted her of the offence, and she was fined.

Dame Vera’s report describes the arrest for malicious communications as “pointless”, “unlawful”, “not in the public interest” and questions whether the officer had taken “a dislike to Maria”. Yet, while Maria gained a criminal record, no officer has been disciplined over her treatment.

A GMP spokesperson said: “The court has tested the evidence for the matter that Maria was arrested for, and we note the outcome by the magistrate. We have a separate investigation into complaints made about the defendant’s arrest and her treatment whilst in police custody.”

The complaint was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in August 2023 and Maria was told several months ago the report was completed, but she has not heard anything since.

Dame Vera Baird of the Baird Inquiry into GMP
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Dame Vera Baird’s report catalogues the ‘unlawful’ arrest and strip search of various individuals by GMP

‘There’s been no accountability’

Dame Vera’s report also catalogues the “unlawful” arrest and strip search of Dannika Stewart in October 2023 at the same police station. Dannika is still grinding through the police complaints service to get a formal acknowledgement of their failings.

She told Sky News: “Everyone involved in it is still in the same position. There’s been no accountability from the police. We’re still fighting the complaint system, we’re still trying to prove something which has already been proved by an independent inquiry.”

Body cam footage of Dannika Stewart being arrested in October 2023
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Body cam footage of Dannika Stewart being arrested

Asked if anyone had been disciplined, Chief Constable Watson told Sky News: “There are ongoing investigations into individual failings, but for the most part the Baird review talked about systemic failings of leadership, it talked of failings in policy and failings of systems.

“In some cases, those people who may have misconducted themselves at the level of professional standards have retired. There are no criminal proceedings in respect of any individual.”

He added: “Every single element of the Baird inquiry has been taken on board – every single one of those recommendations has been implemented – we believe ourselves to be at the forefront of practice.”

Greater Manchester Police bulding and logo

‘It’s been three years’

Mark Dove who was also found by the inquiry to have been unlawfully arrested three times and twice unlawfully stripped-searched says he’s been in the complaints system for three years now.

He told Sky News: “There have been improvements in that I’m being informed more, but ultimately there’s no timeline. It’s been three years, and I have to keep pushing them. And I’ve not heard of anyone being suspended.”

Mark Dove was found by the Baird Inquiry to have been unlawfully arrested three times
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Mark Dove was found to have been unlawfully arrested three times and unlawfully strip-searched twice

Sophie (not her real name), a domestic violence victim who was also found by the review team to have been unlawfully arrested by GMP, told Sky News that although most of her complaints were eventually upheld they had originally been dismissed and no officer has faced any consequences.

She said: “They put on record that I’d accepted a caution when I hadn’t – and then tried to prosecute me. Why has no one been disciplined? These are people’s lives. I could have lost my job. Where is the accountability?”

Since the Baird Inquiry, every strip search by GMP is now reviewed by a compliance team. GMP also provides all female suspects in custody with dignity packs including sanitary products, and they work with the College of Policing to ensure all officers are trained to recognise and respond to the effects of domestic and sexual trauma on survivors.

Kate Green, deputy mayor for Greater Manchester for policing and crime
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Kate Green, deputy mayor for Greater Manchester for policing and crime

The deputy mayor for Greater Manchester for policing and crime, Kate Green, says the lessons of the Baird Inquiry should reach all police forces.

She said: “I would strongly recommend that other forces, if they don’t already follow GMP’s practise in not conducting so-called welfare strip searches, similarly cease to carry out those searches. It’s very difficult to see how a traumatising search can be good for anybody’s welfare, either the officers or the detainees. We’ve managed to do that now for well over a year.”

Ms Green also suggests a national review of the police complaints system.

Read more:
Inquiry prompted by Sky news’ investigation
What Baird Inquiry revealed

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods, of GMP, said: “Our reformed Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) has increased the quality of complaints handling and improved timeliness.

“Where officers have been found to breach our standards then we have not hesitated to remove them from GMP, with more than 100 officers being dismissed on the chief constable’s watch.

“Out of 14 complaints relating to Dame Vera’s report, four have been completed. Our PSD continues to review and investigate the other complaints.

“We’re committed to being held to account for our use of arrests and our performance in custody.

“By its nature, custody has – and always will be – a challenging environment.

“However, basic provisions and processes must always be met and, while we’re confident our progress is being recognised across policing, we stand ready to act on feedback.”

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One child dies after coach crashes in Somerset on way back from school trip

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One child dies after coach crashes in Somerset on way back from school trip

One child has died after a coach bringing children back from a school trip crashed and overturned near Minehead, Somerset, police have said.

A major incident was declared after the vehicle, which had 60-70 people on board, crashed on the A396 Cutcombe Hill, between Wheddon Cross and Timbercombe, shortly before 3pm on Thursday afternoon.

The coach was heading to Minehead Middle School at the time.

At a news conference on Thursday night, officials confirmed one child died at the scene.

A further 21 patients were taken to hospital, including two children who were transported via air ambulance. “Several” other people were treated at the scene, they added.

A police officer near the scene of a coach crash in Somerset. Pic: PA
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A police officer near the scene of the coach crash in Somerset. Pic: PA

“This has been an incredibly challenging scene for all emergency services,” Chief Superintendent Mark Edgington said.

“Today’s events are truly tragic, we know the whole community and wider area will be utterly devastated to learn of this news.”

An investigation into what caused the crash will be carried out, he added.

Gavin Ellis, the chief fire officer for Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said the coach “overturned onto its roof and slid approximately 20ft down an embankment”.

He praised an off-duty firefighter who was travelling behind the vehicle for helping at the scene, before crews then arrived to carry out rescues “in extremely difficult circumstances”.

“I’m grateful for the tireless effort and actions of the crews in doing everything they could for those who were trapped and as quickly as safely as possible,” he said.

“I’m extremely proud of the efforts that my firefighters took today at this tragic event.”

Eight fire engines were sent to the scene, with two specialist rescue appliances and around 60 fire personnel, Mr Ellis said.

A total of 20 double-crewed ambulances, three air ambulances and two hazardous area response teams were also sent to the scene, a representative for the South Western Ambulance Service said.

Emergency services near the scene in Minehead
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Pic: PA

Ch Supt Mark Edgington said: “Many passengers either sustained minor injuries or were physically unharmed and were transferred to a rest centre.

“Work to help them return to Minehead has been taking place throughout the evening.

“An investigation into the cause of this incident will be carried out.”

Minehead Middle School has pupils aged between nine and 14, and is five days away from the end of term.

‘I don’t have words,’ says local MP

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‘From one mother to another, I feel your pain’

Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has said the road where the coach crashed is “very difficult to manoeuvre”.

Speaking to Sky News chief presenter Anna Botting, Ms Gilmour said she visited Minehead Middle School recently, where she “met the children and they were full of joy, enthusiasm and were very positive”.

“I know many of their parents,” she said. “I don’t have words.”

Describing the scene, Gilmour continued: “You have a very difficult crossing at Wheddon Cross, and as you come out to dip down into Timbercombe, the road is really windy and there are very steep dips on either side.

“If the coach, as the police are saying, went 20ft off the road, you are literally on a really, really steep bank.”

The MP, whose constituency is partly in Devon and partly in Somerset, said there is a “really, really close community”.

“We will pull together, but it would be crass of me to say to a parent who’s just lost their child that I could make things better, I can’t,” she said.

“All I can say is that from one mother to another, I feel your pain.”

Cutcombe Hill near Minehead, where the accident took place. Pic: Google Maps
Image:
Cutcombe Hill near Minehead, where the accident took place. Pic: Google Maps

Sir Keir Starmer said in a post on X: “There are no adequate words to acknowledge the death of a child. All my thoughts are with their parents, family and friends, and all those affected.

“Thank you to the emergency workers who are responding at pace – I’m being kept up to date on this situation.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson wrote: “It is heartbreaking to hear that a child has died and others are seriously injured following the incident in Minehead earlier today.

“My thoughts are with their friends and families, and all those affected by this tragic event.”

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Sixteen and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in next general election

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Sixteen and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in next general election

Sixteen and 17 year olds will be able to vote in all UK elections in the biggest reform to the electoral system since 1969.

The government said it will give young people the right to vote in the next general election, something Labour promised in its manifesto last summer.

They can already vote in Senedd elections in Wales and Holyrood elections in Scotland, but this will mean all 16 and 17 year olds across all four UK nations can vote in local, regional and general elections.

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Up to 9.5 million more people will now be able to vote, the IPPR thinktank said. The latest figures show 48,208,507 people are registered to vote.

The last time the voting age was changed was in 1969 when it was reduced from 21 to 18.

The government has said the change will “boost democratic engagement in a changing world, and help to restore trust in UK democracy”.

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File pic: iStock
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Young people across the UK will be able to vote in all elections. File pic: iStock

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline.       

“We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our Plan for Change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give 16 year olds the right to vote.   

“We cannot take our democracy for granted, and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future.”

Majority of Britons do not want to give young people a vote

A YouGov poll of 5,538 adults held in the hours after Thursday’s announcement found 57% of Britons think 16 and 17 year olds should not be allowed to vote, while a third (32%) say they should.

Anthony Wells, head of European political and social research at YouGov, said due to “raw numbers”, 16 and 17 year olds “probably won’t have much impact” as they only make up about 2.8% of the 16+ population.

If their turnout rate is similar to other young people, they will also be a “substantially lower proportion of the actual electorate”, he added.

They tend to vote more heavily for Labour and the Greens – less for the Tories – however, he added this could change if Labour is unpopular by the next election.

No consultation

Conservative shadow communities minister Paul Holmes accused Labour of having “rushed” the announcement out “in an attempt to avoid parliamentary scrutiny and without consultation”, calling it a “confusing message to young people”.

He said it is a “brazen attempt” by a party whose “unpopularity is scaring them into making major constitutional changes without consultation”.

The Tory added: “16-year-olds will be able to vote in an election but not stand as candidates, and they will be able to vote but not permitted to buy a lottery ticket, consume alcohol, marry, or go to war.

“This is a hopelessly confusing policy from Labour, who appear uncertain themselves about what they want young people to be allowed to do.”

Read more:
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Public opposed to lowering voter age

Half of the public were opposed to giving 16 and 17 year olds the vote when Labour suggested it ahead of last year’s election, polling by More in Common found in May 2024.

A total of 47% of those polled of all ages were opposed, while 28% supported the change.

The older people were, the more opposed they were, with just 10% of 75-year-olds and over strongly or ‘somewhat’ supportive.

Gen Z (aged 18-26) were the most supportive, with 49% strongly or somewhat supportive.

But the polling showed people were sceptical about Labour’s motivations for lowering the voting age, with the majority of voters from all parties thinking Labour was doing it to benefit them in elections.

The polling also found most people, including Gen Z, did not feel mature enough to be able to vote until they were 18.

Bank cards allowed as voter ID

As part of the strategy, voter ID will also be extended to include UK-issued bank cards.

Mr Holmes raised concerns using bank cards for ID will “undermine the security of the ballot box”.

When other IDs that are already accepted, such as the veteran card and UK driving licences, become digitised, they will also be accepted in that form.

A digital Voter Authority Certificate will also be created to ensure electoral registration officers, who maintain registers of electors and absent voters, will be able to accept digital forms of ID.

Close loopholes for foreign donors

In an effort to boost transparency and accountability in politics, the government said it will close loopholes allowing foreign donors via “shell companies” to influence UK political parties.

New requirements will be introduced so unincorporated associations will have to carry out checks on donations over £500 to tackle foreign interference.

The Electoral Commission will also be given new powers to enforce heavier fines of up to £500,000 on those who breach political finance rules, and enable tougher sentences for those who abuse election campaigners.

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