Learning disability care reform needed
The normalisation of restrictive practices and and mismatch of accommodation were among issues identified in a review of care for adults with learning disabilities.
The findings have been published in an independent review by specialists Cordis Bright into the residential care services provided on the Isle of Man.
The review was commissioned by Manx Care after a number of safeguarding concerns were raised in the autumn of 2024.
Chief executive Teresa Cope said the report identified "significant areas for improvement" but the organisation was "fully committed to supporting adults with learning disabilities".
In the wake of the review the organisation would "work with partners across the system to build a strategy for the future", she said.
The report found that in some cases people cared for in residential homes faced restrictive measures such as lack of access to the kitchen because other residents risked hurting themselves if if allowed to use the facilities, for example by drinking from a kettle.
In a limited number of cases residents who could not safely spend time together were sometimes restricted to their own rooms to avoid contact, the review said.
It also found restrictive practices put in place for extended periods of time to maintain the safety of residents were were often in response to staffing shortages.
Another key challenge identified was that people were placed into one of the 17 residential homes based on availability rather than suitability.
This, the review said, meant that there were people who were living together whose support needs were "very different".
That could lead to those with high needs contending with people who are more able than them, and those with lower needs may be placed under "undue restrictions", the review continued.
Several homes had also been "poorly maintained or had become shabby", with some having issues such as persistent damp or leaks, or needing repairs, the review said.
In some cases, "inappropriate workarounds" became the norm, the review said, with one home still without wi-fi.
Recommendations from the report included ensuring greater variety of options for support, and reducing the current "over reliance on residential care", better engagement with family members, and a property strategy to improve accommodation options.
Another key recommendation was the creation of a workforce strategy to address issues of low morale, ensure appropriate training and meet the need for a greater variety of care, the review added.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
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The cost to the state to rebuild them could exceed their value, and in such cases the courts could rule that an owner qualified for "nil compensation", he said. "Nil is a form of compensation," Macpherson added, while ruling it out for farms. Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero told South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper that he wanted to use the buildings for the "public good", like accommodating around 300,000 people on the housing waiting list. He added the owners of nearly 100 buildings could not be located. "They have abandoned the buildings," he said, adding some of the owners were from the UK and Germany. But Mabasa and Karberg told the BBC that in such cases compensation would probably still have to be paid for the buildings, though not the land. If the state could not locate the owners, it "must deposit the compensation with the Master of the High Court" in case they returned or could be traced later, they said. The law is in limbo, as Ramaphosa – about four months after giving his assent to it – has still not set a date for its implementation. Nor is he likely to do so anytime soon, as he would not want to further antagonise Trump while South Africa was trying to negotiate a trade deal with the US. And on the domestic front, the DA is spearheading opposition to the legislation. It said it wanted a "judicial review" of it, while at the same time it was pressing ahead with court action to challenge the law's constitutionality. The DA's tough line is in contrast with that of Macpherson, who, a few weeks ago, warned that if the law was struck down in its entirety: "I don't know what's going to come after that. "In politics, sometimes you must be careful what you wish for because often you can get it," he said. His comments highlight the deep fissures in South African politics, with some parties, such as Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), believing that the legislation did not go far enough to tackle racial inequality in land ownership. With land such an emotive issue, there is no easy solution to the dispute – and it is likely to continue to cause tensions within South Africa, as well as with the US president. Rebuked by Trump but praised at home: How Ramaphosa might gain from US showdown Is there a genocide of white South Africans as Trump claims? South Africans' anger over land set to explode Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
