Family murder-suicide in Spain is proof of care failings

A British man, his Irish wife and disabled daughter have been found dead in Spain, in what is being labelled as a suspected 'murder-suicide.' It is the latest in what is becoming all too frequently a family affair involving disabled children. The family reportedly left a suicide note suggesting that their daughter's disability had become too much to cope with.

An occurrence that is no longer a rarity, struggling families with disabled members often find themselves pushed into a corner of society where they are forced to struggle alone with the effects of having a vulnerable adult to care for. Often subjected to abuse, and almost always left without adequate support, each harrowing case highlights the tragedy of having to care for a loved one with a disability.

My twin brother, a sufferer of autism and bipolar amongst other things, has been in care since the age of 8. We took the difficult but necessary decision to place him into care as his behaviour became progressively harder to manage. Other families, through no fault of their own, feel they cannot make this step. And I can't blame them: the care system today is fundamentally flawed and often morally void. It is true that there is no better unit to care for a disabled person than the family unit, however often the strain of looking after somebody with distinct care requirements and - in the case of my brother - challenging behaviour, becomes too much for one family member to be able to bear.

It is the tragedy of the social care structure that these people do not receive adequate support in their choices, whichever they may be. Faced with the prospect of being placed into a care system which has given us the Winterbourne View abuse scandal, people are sceptical and highly suspicious of the care network. The Care Quality Commission is one cog in this complex network of agencies, and has been described as "not fit for purpose" by Stephen Dorrell, the chairman of the Commons health committee.  The government have announced a series of reforms to the watchdog. But what families really need to see is drastic changes to the entire care system. Transparency, an efficient regulator and family rights over the care of their respective family members are necessary to demonstrate the safety of the industry to service users and their support network. It is true that the people who know each individual best are the people who have been there for them throughout their life, not profit-making care providers and agencies with multiple case loads and a high staff turnover.

For families wanting respite, it should be provided to them without the fear of entering into a system which could prove harmful and ultimately destructive for the unit that each fights so hard to protect.

For families who simply can no longer cope with the daily care needs of the vulnerable adult, they need the peace of mind that their loved-one will be safe, secure and happy.

For families on the edge, they need to know that there are people there to help.

All of these are changes the government needs to make to reestablish a genuine support network to restore trust in the care system. Without such changes, trust in placing a loved one into the care system will remain low, and I fear that the tragic events that have unfolded in the last few days will continue.