Special Needs Home Tagging Pilot Launched

People with learning difficulties such as Down’s syndrome are to be tagged and monitored by satellite technology in a controversial pilot project.

The plan to electronically tag a group of people with special needs in the way that criminals are tracked when under curfew has been given a mixed reception.

Those promoting the plan say that it will increase safety and allow carers to track their movements without having to accompany them. Critics claim it smacks of “big brother” and that technology should not be used in place of proper care.

The scheme is being run by England’s largest housing association. A group of five vulnerable people in the North East, in homes belonging to Places for People, will pilot the project. If successful, it could be offered to others in the association’s 60,000 homes countrywide.