THE MOTHER of a 23-year-old who died in a supported living home is calling for an independent investigation into his death.

An inquest on Thursday ruled Nico Reed died on August 22 2012 at the Barrantynes home in Chalgrove after suffering aspiration – a process where regurgitated material enters the lungs due to reflex problems caused by cerebral palsy.

Mr Reed 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.

His mother Rosie Reed has appointed solicitors and is calling for a full, independent inquiry.

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She said: “Nico died at just 23. A needless death. A preventable death. A terrifying death. A death that never had to be.

“Nothing will bring our son back. No legal verdict will change what has happened to us or calm our grief. But it might prevent it happening again and that is why we fight on. This is not the end – it is just the end of the beginning.”

Mrs Reed is backed by mental disability charity Mencap.

Chief executive Jan Tregelles said: “Nico’s life was cut tragically short – a young man robbed of his future and a family of their son and brother. Had the service entrusted to care for Nico not failed him so terribly, he could still be alive today.”

At Barrantynes, run by the Ridgeway Partnerships (later taken over by Southern Health), he was fed through a tube and checked regularly through the night by a carer.

But at the inquest, Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said while Mr Reed’s care plan recommended he be checked every 20 minutes in reality that was only a “guideline” and the checks may have taken place every 30 or 45 minutes.

He said it was possible the youngster’s life could have been saved if he was checked more regularly.

Mrs Reed claimed her son’s “health and happiness” declined when he got to Barrantynes and that she complained on numerous occasions about the quality of Nico’s care.

She paid tribute to her son saying: “Nico was incredibly special to all who knew him and he was so loved I can hardly put it into words.

“A shining, lively boy – he loved life, he loved people and he was so determined to achieve the best that he could do in all things he did.”

Liz Pusey issued a statement for Southern Health saying: “We have reviewed our processes and conducted an internal investigation since the incident, and though we do not believe we could have changed the outcome that day, we are committed to learning from any incident such as this, and from the coroner’s comments.”

Mr Salter recorded a narrative verdict on Thursday but declined to write to Southern Health to raise concerns over future care.

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