Inquest examines sixth form college’s handling of autistic student’s support needs

An inquest heard that autistic student Sam Coutts, 18, died at his sixth form college after being told his support worker would be changed because of social media posts about her. CCTV showed him going to the toilets after a meeting with the vice principal; his body was found three hours later. The hearing is examining the college’s response to his needs and wellbeing.

Coutts had felt isolated and was assigned support worker Lauren Crosby. Before the meeting on 13 January, he told his mother he felt embarrassed and asked whether his Reddit posts seemed “creepy and weird”; she said they were respectful. The college’s head of learning support said changing the worker was uncomfortable but necessary to protect both of them, while Coutts’s mother said the college failed in its duty of care, including by leaving him alone and not noticing his absence for three hours.