Are we waiting for Leo's Law?

After sharing a LinkedIn post about Leo I have been inundated with offers of support and questions about his situation. To inform those interested in Leo's case I have pulled together a timeline and details. Before going into detail, I must contextualise the situation by explaining that Leo's mum is a single parent and Leo has a sister, aged 10 who is registered as a young carer.

Leo's Mum is a kind, caring and hard-working individual who worked in a kitchen before Leo's needs resulted in absence from the workplace and her losing her job. Leo has only recently secured a full-time place at a SEN school. Previous to this, despite Leo having full-time funding, the SEN school would only accept Leo for 3 mornings a week - mum wasn't aware of her rights to dispute this.

Leo’s Health & Housing Timeline

(Ages 1–7)

Child: Leo

Age: 7

Needs: Severe autism + chronic asthma

Hospitalisations: 21 total

- Ages 1–3: 12, also diagnosed with dust mite allergy

- Ages 4–5: 8, also diagnosed with epilepsy

- Ages 6–7: 1

Housing: Three consecutive private rentals

Status: On council housing list since age 1 – never offered suitable accommodation

Evictions: Twice, due to noise complaints linked to sensory-seeking behaviours (e.g. jumping)

No complaints to landlords: Fear of eviction

 

Ages 1–4 — Flat 1: 2-Bed, 5th Floor Flat with Balcony

- Private rental, no outdoor drying space

- Double glazed windows, remained closed (unsafe for autistic child) – no trickle vents

- Extractor fans present but ineffective

- No cross-ventilation or mechanical airflow

- Clothes dried indoors → high humidity

- Gas hob – Nitrogen dioxide exposure

- Old carpets – dust mites

- Air fresheners, fabric conditioner used to mask the damp clothes smell

- Health: Asthma began at age 1, 12 hospitalisations by age 3

- Eviction: Neighbour complaints about noise

- Missed Interventions: No OT assessment, no housing/safeguarding escalation

 

Ages 4–5 — Flat 2: 2-Bed Flat Above a Shop

- Private rental, no garden or outdoor space

- Windows double glazed, remained shut – no trickle vents

- Extractor fans working but insufficient

- Indoor drying of laundry continued

- Gas hob – Nitrogen dioxide exposure

- Old carpets – dust mites

- Health: 8 more hospitalisations (total = 20 by age 5) - Broken arm - climbing on a bed headboard

- Eviction: Neighbour noise complaints

- Missed Interventions: No escalation, no adaptation or priority reassessment

 

Ages 6–7 — Flat 3: 2-Bed House with Garden

- Private rental, now with garden

- Windows double glazed, but kept shut – no trickle vents

- House was previously covered in mould, but landlord did a wash and block before Leo moved in

- Climbing risk means garden door must stay closed unless mum is present  

- Gas hob – Nitrogen dioxide exposure  

- Old carpets – dust mites

- Air fresheners, fabric conditioner used to mask the damp clothes smell

- Extractor fans present and functional but only recently added (reactive to mould from previous tenants)  

- Health: 1 hospitalisation (total = 21 by age 7)

- Housing status: Still on council list – no social housing offer - Leo has swung on two light fittings pulling and exposed live wiring - neighbour electrician charged mum £50 per light to replace them

- Leo has broken the washing machine due to no lock on the front, forcing the purchase of a new washing machine on credit (increasing financial burden / debt)

- Council did act as a guarantor to help secure this property due to risk of homelessness

- Missed Interventions: No OT review or coordinated action despite history

 

Summary of Environmental Risk Factors

- Double glazed windows: Couldn’t be opened safely due to autism risk

- Extractor fans: Present in all flats; ineffective in Flat 1, insufficient in others

- No mechanical ventilation: No whole-house airflow system

- Drying clothes indoors: High humidity - - Climbing risk means garden door must stay closed unless mum is present  

- Gas hob – Nitrogen dioxide exposure  

- Old carpets – dust mites

- Air fresheners, fabric conditioner used to mask the damp clothes smell - Masked mould in latest property (landlord wash and block between tenancies)

- Unsafe electrical light fittings

- No locks on fridges / hob

- Risk of abscondment from garden due to height of fences

- Evictions: 2 evictions linked to sensory behaviours

- Private renting: Fear of eviction prevented complaints (no fault section 21)

- Waiting list: 6+ years without suitable housing

 

Missed Professional Duties

- Health: GPs and paediatricians should have escalated concerns

- Education: School did not raise safeguarding concerns

- Housing: Council failed to prioritise despite clear evidence

- Safeguarding: No Early Help or Section 17 response - Team around family - I arranged a team around family and met with the officer. They discharged the family as soon as they secured the third property, with no OT support or visits to the new house.

 

What Leo Needed But Never Received

- Urgent medical/disability-based prioritisation for housing

- Ventilation adaptations (e.g. OT recommendations)

- Noise mitigation support (e.g. acoustic flooring)

- Multi-agency safeguarding response

- Legal enforcement of housing duties