Referral
A young person (aged 9) with a diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Condition and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, with displays of challenging behaviour, was admitted to an Accident and Emergency department (A&E) in a NHS district general hospital.
Support Provided
Following the young person absconding from the hospital into the local community and damaging privately-owned vehicles, Prometheus Complex Care (PCC) was engaged to monitor and safeguard the individual in A&E. PCC’s role was to minimise the risks posed by the young person to other patients in A&E, as well as preventing further damage to property.
PCC worked closely with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) planning care for the child, where our observation team was asked to provide continual therapeutic support within the hospital, which included rapport building, facilitating family visits and intervening physically (only when absolutely necessary). Furthermore, our team alleviated pressure from NHS staff in A&E, allowing them to attend to other patients and responsibilities, with the knowledge that the young child was safe and protected.
During our observation, the child moved from a significant number of weekly escalations to one incident every two weeks, whilst we gradually reduced staffing ratios from 5:1 to 3:1. Once stabilised, the child successfully transitioned into a supported living placement in the community.
