To report to social services?

[Unknown18]

Boy is just turned 18. Has low level autism and a physical condition. Seeing him recently, he is very very skinny. He has progressively gotten skinnier over the past few months but is now definitely underweight. His mum goes away often leaving him at home with his siblings, one a year older, two younger. Would you report?

You would need to report to adult social care due to his age, but if you have concerns about a vulnerable adult then yes report and let them make a decision and whether he needs intervention, if you have concerns about the older teens caring for the younger ones that would be children's social care, but there seems to be a 19 year old also in the home who is likely capable of caring for the younger ones unless you have concerns about substance misuse or any evidence of mistreatment

Yes, please do.

How long are they left on their own for? I can see your concern if he is disabled and losing so much weight. He might not have the capacity to be left alone.

He’s not severely disabled, is capable of looking after himself to a certain extent but his illness is going untreated and getting progressively worse. His autism is more in a social sense. He is left for up to a few days at a time, not quite a week but close to it sometimes.

What is his illness? You can't report an adult for being home alone.

Diabetes. He’s just turned 18, this has been happening for months/years.

Better safe then sorry I think you should report. And I think he is lucky to have someone who is looking out

He'd be classed as a vulnerable adult due to his autism. Who's not managing a life threatening disease

Yes, but being autistic doesn't mean he needs social services intervention. Many autistic adults are perfectly capable of being independent.

Who are you to this family? @Unknown18 Are you close enough to know why he has lost weight or are you just assuming?

I'm not sure tbh. Are you close enough that you could you educate to care for himself better?

What's the reason Mum is away a lot? Is she working?

A friend. Lost weight due to unmanaged diabetes and not taking care of himself generally. Very likely to have depression.

I have tried. Not working, just in London with friends/partying.

Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, do you know? I'm T1D and it can be difficult to manage at the best of times, let alone with other complicating factors. Either way, I'd definitely report. So much better safe than sorry.

I believe type 2 caused from a terrible diet when he was younger

They were left on their own when they were kids? Did you report then?

If he’s skinny and wasting away from lack of treatment and is insulin dependent then it’s much more likely to be type 1. Late onset type 1 does happen and many people are only diagnosed in their late teens or early 20s. The idea that you can get type 2 diabetes from a poor diet - in the absence of other risk factors and metabolic problems - is mostly a myth. Untreated type 1 diabetes is deadly, so yes I would report this.

Probably best too, though i voted yabu. My teen asd/adhd boy is very very skinny and gets skinnier if he attempts adhd medication as it surpresses your appetite (given up on it now). He regularly sees doctors and I assume this teen would as he'd need medication reviews for his diabetes, so would be seeing a doctor often.

There is nothing to lose.
The young man needs to have his health checked and be assessed as to whether he is looking after his Diabetes..

Yes report as a vulnerable adult he may or may not have capacity to understand his conditions, but professional, s can decide that
Diabetes is a pain to manage my 17 year old wax diagnosed a year ago ( he's type 3c but treated as type 1_)
He really does have to keep.on top of it .

And its a huge spectrum nobody on here knows wether tis young man is capable of managing his condition or not.

You need consent before reporting to adult social services, unless the person is in immediate danger (which he doesn't appear to be from what you are describing). So you need to talk to him and ask him what he would like to happen.

If in doubt, always put in a report. No-one ever died from a social worker check.

Sounds like social services themselves need to make this assessment. That’s why it’s important to report. It may/may not be something they would help with but it’s their call to make.

How do you know his illness is going untreated?

Please try, my son died of diabetic ketoacidosis as he was unable to manage his condition due to his mental health. He had late onset type 1 diagnosed at 26 and dead at 27...I tried so hard to be listened to he was losing weight (he was a skinny bugger all his life) I knew he wasn't taking his insulin or antidepressants as I wasn't getting his prescriptions and I could count...he would always say he had even tho he knew I knew he wasn't and just get shouty and then hide away (I obviously couldn't make him) I called GP who suggested I remind him to take meds (I was obviously doing this) I called the diabetic team at the hospital and emailed they rang him he said no no weight loss that was that, I called mental health team who said it's a medical issue. I spoke to hospital doctors, he was admitted 4 times in 6 months they said it was a mental health issue. I called adult social services who said he had capacity and then he died and everyone said sorry