There are more than 2,000 children and young adults with severe learning disabilities who are living in round-the-clock residential settings.
These children and young people are largely hidden from view, due in part to the challenges of meeting their complex needs.
However, a Department of Health-commissioned review on the standards of care provided to this group reveals a system that is institutionalised in its nature, extremely costly to provide and failing to deliver significant improvements to young people's lives.
The review, These are Our Children, has been undertaken by Dame Christine Lenehan, director of the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), part of the National Children's Bureau. It found that despite numerous government initiatives - accelerated since the abuse of people with learning disabilities was uncovered at Winterbourne View - there is no clear vision for the treatment of children with complex needs involving challenging behaviour and a mix of mental health problems, learning disabilities and autism.
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