THE mother of a man who died in a supported living home has welcomed an inquiry into his death.

Nico Reed, who had cerebral palsy and learning difficulties, died in Barrantynes home in Chalgrove on August 22, 2012, at the age of 23.

Last December an inquest ruled he had died after inhaling his own vomit.

Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said it was possible his life would have been saved if staff had checked on him more regularly.

His mother Rosi said she was relieved by news that the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) was to launch an independent inquiry into his death.

Writing on her Justice for Nico blog, she said: “A couple of weeks ago we heard we were not to have a serious case review but we were instead to have a full independent investigation.

“Partly because of the huge scope and complexity of Nico’s case, a serious case review would not have been able to look into everything we raised.

“It wouldn’t have had a sufficiently wide remit.

“But an independent investigation would cover a lot more and that is what we wanted and asked for.”

Mrs Reed said she and her husband Ian would receive a document detailing the scope of the investigation within the next two weeks and would then choose an investigator.

She wrote: “Then the investigation begins and we have been told to expect it to last at least six months and possibly as long as a year. That doesn’t matter to me right now. What matters is that it’s a far-reaching, thorough investigation.”

Nico had been cared for at Penhurst School in Chipping Norton for 17 years before transferring to Barrantynes in 2010 after an Oxfordshire County Council assessment.

The home was run by Ridgeway Partnerships, which has since been taken over by Southern Health.

At the inquest coroner Mr Salter said checks on Mr Reed, who was fed through a tube and checked through the night by a carer, may not have been carried out regularly enough.

Mr Salter said that while Nico’s care plan recommended he be checked every 20 minutes, those checks may have only taken place every 30 or 45 minutes.

Lesley Stevens, Director of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Social Care at Southern Health said: “We will be pleased to support the independent investigation in any way we can, providing all necessary information to ensure the investigation can be carried out to its full potential.”