A heartbroken mother says she has not been able to visit her vulnerable daughter since the lockdown began.

Her daughter has learning difficulties and lives in an adult social care community home with 24 hours staff support.

The mother, who is 72, says she won’t even be allowed to visit her on her 50th birthday on June 10. ’I obviously want the best for my daughter but this is discrimination against her human rights,’ she said.

Lockdown restrictions on visits to adult social care premises remain in place but are to be reviewed later this month.

Health Care David Ashford acknowledged the anxieties about not being able to visit loved ones but asked service users and their families for their ’ongoing support for a little while longer’.

The mother told the Examiner: ’Since the lockdown at the end of March she has gone from coming home for three nights at the weekend and spending the other four nights at the house to not basically having any contact with me.

’At first when the virus was rife, I fully understood about the lockdown and no contacts.

’But when one of the guys in the house tested positive, instead of just him being isolated in his room the other three had to spend 14 days in their own rooms as well.

’It was just heartbreaking to go to the house to drop off her game.

’She saw me from her bedroom window and tried to open it to talk to me but due to health and safety reasons, the windows only open about one inch.’

She added: ’I am still on board with this but my daughter is quite bright and when she saw that the lockdown was being relaxed she started to get frustrated and thinks because I don’t go there I don’t want her. The staff at the home have been brilliant and I cannot fault them at all.

’Now that the rules are a bit less strict, they have started to take her out for walks in the community but they are not allowed to tell me where they are taking her so that I can meet up just to reassure her that I haven’t disowned and forgotten her.’

As part of a range of measures announced on March 18 aimed at preventing the spread of the Covid-19, all residential services directly provided by adult social care closed to non-essential visitors.

These included all learning disability residential community homes.

All learning disability day services provided by adult social care were closed indefinitely.

Mr Ashford said following the easing of Covid restrictions, adult social care had sought advice from public health officials and those in infection prevention and control.

’The advice received supports the decision that the measures are to remain in place,’ he said.

’The basis for this decision is that it is important that accurate data is available in regard to any changes in the rate of infection and any increase in the risk of transmission, following the easing of restrictions.’

He said adult social care has more than 500 frontline staff who have gone ’above and beyond’ in protecting vulnerable services users - and ’now is not the time to let that guard down’.

The Minister said adult social care residents, service users, family and friends have so far supported the decisions in keeping their loved ones safe.

He said: ’Adult social care will review this decision in the week commencing June 15 and in the meantime, will work closely with families and relatives where there are extenuating circumstances.’