It has been 24 days. Twenty-four days since I was left in an unimaginable state of neglect by South Ayrshire Council’s Social Care services. Twenty-four days without an apology, without my house keys, and without the promised support. What began as a catastrophic failure of care has spiralled into something that now bears the hallmarks of potential victimisation under the Equality Act 2010—a punishment for daring to complain.
This is no longer just about one person’s suffering. It is a live case study in how a system can compound failure with dishonesty, and then potentially retaliate against the victim.
The Unchanged Facts: Neglect, Horror, and Dishonesty
The core facts remain, unchallenged and unforgivable:
During a period where I was acutely vulnerable, social services failed in their most fundamental duty of care. I was left in a profoundly neglectful situation. A mental health nurse, who is professionally documenting this ordeal, was visibly horrified. She stated clearly that the level of neglect I experienced was so severe that, left unchecked, it would have led directly to a hospital admission. Let that sink in: a health professional believes the neglect from my social services was so acute it risked a medical crisis.
24 days later, there is still no apology for this dehumanising ordeal.
The council has provided demonstrably false narratives to my MSP, which I have countered with clear evidence.
Promised therapy and support have vanished since my complaint was lodged.
The New Escalation: Withholding Keys and the Equality Act
A critical new question has emerged: is the council’s continued withholding of my house keys an act of unlawful victimisation?
Under the Equality Act 2010, “victimisation” occurs when someone is subjected to a detriment because they have done a “protected act,” such as making a complaint about discrimination.
Let’s be clear about the sequence:
1. I made a formal complaint regarding severe institutional neglect.
2. Following this complaint, my house keys were, and remain, withheld from me.
The Act states that a person (including a council) must not victimise someone in relation to housing. Withholding access to one’s home is a serious “detriment.” When this action follows a complaint about disability-related failings, it raises a very serious legal question: is this retaliation?
This pattern—neglect, followed by a complaint, followed by the withdrawal of rights and support—creates a chilling effect. It tells every vulnerable person that challenging the authority that failed them may lead to further punishment. For an autistic person who requested reasonable adjustments in the complaints process (a request that was ignored), this adversarial treatment feels like a targeted failure.
Why This Is a Systemic Scandal
My case is a warning signal. It reveals a dangerous culture where:
· Neglect is possible at the most basic level, to a degree that shocks medical professionals.
· Accountability is avoided through bureaucratic evasion and contradictory statements.
· Complainants may be penalised, creating a culture of fear that silences others.
If the system can treat someone with documented evidence and professional testimony in this way, what hope is there for those without a voice? This conduct doesn’t just betray me; it betrays the public trust and puts every vulnerable resident of South Ayrshire at risk. A system that attacks the whistleblower instead of fixing the problem is a broken system.
What Must Happen Now
This is legally and morally unacceptable. South Ayrshire Council must immediately:
1. Issue a full, public apology for the neglect I suffered.
2. Return my house keys without precondition.
3. Provide the long-promised therapeutic support.
4. Initiate a fully independent investigation into:
· The original neglect.
· The inaccurate communications to elected representatives.
· The potential victimisation in the handling of my complaint.
5. Overhaul its complaints process to be transparent, accessible, and protective of complainants’ rights.
Twenty-four days is an eternity to wait for dignity. The neglect was a scandal. The subsequent actions may be a violation of the law. This must end.
This blog post reflects my personal experience as part of an ongoing complaint. The legal analysis regarding victimisation is based on the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.