A personal account of institutional neglect, broken promises, and the fear that my story is not unique.
The festive season is meant to be a time of peace and safety. For me, Christmas Eve 2024 became a nightmare of coercion, neglect, and what I believe was an illegal eviction by South Ayrshire Council, directly triggered by my decision to file a formal complaint about their services.
My name is Sarah. I am an autistic woman with learning disabilities and mobility issues. This is my story of how the very system designed to protect me instead abandoned me, leaving me in an undignified and dangerous situation.
A Coerced Departure: Ambushed at My Own Door
It began with a visit to my home. I have CCTV recordings that show Sandra Rae from South Ayrshire Council’s Adult Social Work department arriving at my door. The footage captures the pressure and coaxing I was subjected to. I was told that that they were concerned about me.
I was hesitant, terrified of the disruption to my routine—a common anxiety for autistic individuals. But I was given a central, unwavering promise: “All of your needs will be taken care of.” They had my files. They knew my profound needs: that I require assistance with personal hygiene due to limited joint mobility, that I need support with medication, and that my diet must be carefully managed. With this assurance, I reluctantly agreed to leave with them on December 24th.
The Promise Shattered: “We Don’t Do That Here”
I was taken to a temporary flat in Ayr. The breakdown was immediate. In front of a social worker, I reiterated my critical need for help cleaning myself after using the toilet—a basic human dignity and a medical necessity to prevent painful UTIs I am prone to.
Sandra Rae’s response was chilling: “We don’t want different people coming in.” She told me to simply clean myself in the shower. When I explained, panic rising, that my joints physically prevent me from reaching, she dismissed me: “Well, try anyway.”
Imagine that. Left to sit in your own waste, told to solve an impossible problem, while the risk of infection grows. For an autistic person, the sensory and emotional horror of this is overwhelming. The promise of care had lasted less than a few hours.
A Catalogue of Neglect and a Fight for Safety
The personal care refusal was the first of many devastating failures:
· Medication Management Abandoned: No one was there to ensure I took critical pills for blood pressure and anxiety, a known support need.
· Dangerous Dietary Disregard: I was offered high-fat, dairy-heavy foods I explicitly said would cause digestive issues, directly exacerbating the core hygiene crisis.
· Sensory Hostility: The flat was sprayed with overpowering Febreze, the temperature was unbearably hot, and I was left alone as a panic attack—a precursor to an autistic meltdown—took hold.
I was in an environment not just neglectful, but actively dangerous. With no support and in acute distress, I made the only safe choice: I used the last of my energy to catch the final train home on Christmas Eve, where my trusted friend could help me.
The Illegal Eviction and the Chilling Message
This was not a simple “placement breakdown.” I was illegally removed from my new home as retaliation for my ongoing formal complaint against South Ayrshire Council’s services.
The cruelest proof? The flat they placed me in was a ground-floor, two-bedroom property with a walk-in shower. This is the exact adapted housing I have begged the council for, for 4 years. They had it available but would not let me live in it with support. Instead, they used it as a setting for my neglect and then took it away from me.
They demonstrated they have the resource I need, but would rather use it to punish me for speaking out than to provide me with a safe, permanent home. This is the heart of the injustice.
My Fear Is For Others: This Cannot Be a One-Off
I am sharing this story not just for myself, but out of a deep, gnawing fear. If South Ayrshire Council can do this to me—with CCTV evidence, a paper trail of complaints, and clear disability needs—what are they doing to people who cannot speak up?
How many others are being coerced, neglected, and illegally displaced? How many are sitting in silence, afraid that complaining will lead to them being ambushed at home and abandoned in a strange flat?
The actions of Stewart Marshall, Sandra Rae, and the systems they represent are not just a failure of care. They are a breach of human rights, a likely violation of the Equality Act 2010, and a betrayal of public trust.
A Call for Accountability and Change
I am not just a case file. I am a human being who was left in her own filth on Christmas Eve after being promised care. My story must be a catalyst for change.
I demand:
1. A full, independent investigation into my illegal eviction and the neglect I suffered.
2. Immediate provision of suitable, permanent adapted housing as legally required.
3. Mandatory, proper autism and disability training for all South Ayrshire Council social care staff.
4. A public assurance that no other disabled person will be punished for making a legitimate complaint.
To the public: Please share this story. Ask your councillors what South Ayrshire Council is doing to protect its most vulnerable residents. Let them know that we see, we care, and we will not accept this cruelty.
To the council: Your systems are broken. Your empathy is absent. Your actions were inhumane. I have the evidence. Now, you need to provide answers and justice.
Podcast video Link
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRMu433G/
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Audio Podcast
YouTube link
https://youtu.be/TQP2EFEX824?si=w5Q1q9uCwkCVLs7F
This blog post has been written and published by EatSleepCry to document my experience and advocate for systemic change. The events described are true and supported by documentation, including CCTV footage, dated emails, and formal complaints.
Press Enquires contact (see photo)
