Lockdown restrictions on adult learning disability community homes are being eased in phases.

Non-essential visits to all adult social care residential services were banned on March 19 in response to the Covid pandemic.

At the same time, service users who spent time away from their community home to visit family and friends were not permitted to return as outside contact could pose a risk to other residents and staff.

Now outdoor visits are being allowed again.

And Health and Social Care Minister David Ashford told the Examiner: ’The visiting restrictions are being reviewed currently with further relaxation being considered potentially this week.’

The Department of Health and Social Care insisted the decision to ban visitors at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis were not taken lightly.

But it led to some families not seeing each other for months.

A heartbroken mother contacted the Examiner to say she had not been able to visit her vulnerable daughter since the lockdown began.

Her daughter has learning difficulties and lives in a community home with 24 hours staff support. The mother, who is 72, said she wasn’t even allowed to visit her on her 50th birthday on June 10 and said she wanted to reassure her daughter that she hadn’t disowned and forgotten her.

On that date, the mother received a letter from the DHSC outlining plans to ease restrictions on community homes, starting with outdoor visits on site.

The letter states: ’It would appear we are going to have to learn to live with Covid-19 for the foreseeable future. Therefore the easing of restrictions in respect of the services we provide will be significantly more complex than closing them down proved to be.

’We have done everything we could to keep our service users connected with family and friends during this time - however, I fully appreciate that it is not the same as face to face contact.’

The letter said that on that basis, and following risk management planning and discussion with public health and infection control, the DHSC could now move to the first phase in its return to ’new normal’ services. It is now supporting outdoor visits on site between service users and their family and friends. But these visits are time-limited, restricted to one family member or friend at a time and have to be booked in advance.

The mother told the Examiner: ’Since that letter two weeks ago, all other regulations have been withdrawn altogether e.g bars, hairdressing and clubs now unrestricted along with social distancing.

’Why do I still have to abide by these regs? I still cannot give my daughter a hug or take her out.’