A DISTRAUGHT single dad says he is ‘up against a wall’ as he claims he was told by a social worker he must ‘put his autistic son on the streets’ before he can get the help he so desperately needs.

Philip Blunstone, 47, says that the situation with his son Ethan Blunstone, 19, is ‘killing him’.

He said: “Nobody is helping us. I am desperate. I have been told that for Ethan to get the care he needs I need to make him homeless. It is absolutely outrageous that to get my son into some sort of respite or residential care, professionals are telling me to essentially abandon him.

“It is tearing me apart. I don’t sleep at night due to the worry. He’s my boy, I would never do what they are asking me to do.

“I feel like he’s been left on the scrap heap without ever being given a chance to begin with.

“He’s only 19 and it is criminal what they are suggesting I do to him.

“This is where he grew up, it is the only place in the world he feels safe, forcibly removing him from his home would tip him over the edge.”

Ethan is autistic and has been diagnosed with OCD and psychosis. Mr Blunstone said the difficulties with his care began when he became an adult.

He said: “Before he turned 18 he was under CAHMS and they were brilliant, absolutely amazing. They got him diagnosed and medicated and he had the most amazing councillor, but since being transferred to the adult mental health services it has all gone down hill. It is a constant battle now to get him the support he needs. They have undone all the hard work that CAHMS did with him and it is wrong.

“We are at our wits end as a family. I don’t know how much longer we can do this for. “

When we put the family’s struggles to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and Worcestershire County Council they responded in a joint statement that said: “We take any issues raised about the quality of our services seriously and investigated the concerns raised by Mr Blunstone last year.

“We are not able to discuss the specific details of Ethan’s care due to patient confidentiality, however we acknowledge how important a seamless transition is from children’s services to adult care for our residents and their families. We are continuing to liaise with all partners to ensure any move from children’s to adult’s services is a positive experience and individuals receive all the support that they need.

“Both organisations work closely together to provide a comprehensive level of appropriate support to our residents, and it is extremely important to us that all changes to care and support plans are clearly outlined and communicated to everyone involved, whilst not compromising the overall standard of care provided.

“We can confirm that whilst changes to Ethan’s support plan are being discussed and implemented, all support is being planned from the family home as per the wishes of both Ethan and his dad at this time.”

“We recognise the role of family carers, the challenges this can present and the need to promote the support that is available to them."