Typical social worker!

[JeanneA]

Hi there is a meeting this Wednesday regarding the funding for my son Glen's mental health assessment. I emailed Glen's social worker this morning to ask her to let me know the result of the meeting as soon as she could, I had an automated email reply stated " I am on leave until November 8th". I am really annoyed at this as I had no idea the social worker was on leave I do feel she could have told me this last week. The funding meeting is very important as it will decide whether Glen can have his assessment or not. I have been in touch with the acting manager at social services and told her that I was very unhappy that the SW couldn't have let me know she wouldn't be at the meeting. The acting manager will be going instead of the SW.

 

Sorry to have a moan but I just needed to!

[JsMum]

You could ring the actual service provider and request the results, if my Sons social Worker is absent and it is urgent information I ring the duty officer, or the social workers manager, this information is vital for you as a family and communication could of been arranged better in her abscene.

 

JsMum

[JeanneA]

Thanks J'sMum, this has just got me so angry I don't think its that unreasonable to expect your social worker to let you know she won't actually be attending this very important meeting do you? Or am I being unreasonable??

[JsMum]

Thanks J'sMum, this has just got me so angry I don't think its that unreasonable to expect your social worker to let you know she won't actually be attending this very important meeting do you? Or am I being unreasonable??

If she is ment to be attending the meeting then I can understand why you are angry and upset, it isnt like Annual Leave is unexpected holiday so why would she take AL knowing she was due to attend clients funding decision meeting, I would defo ring tomorrow and talk to a manager and get to the bottom of her absence and lack of communication, would it be best the funding meeting was cancelled until the social worker is back? I know the Assessment sounds quite urgent, so understand any further delay is a concern for Glens safety.

 

All you can do is express the communication issue and the lack of notification of her presence for the meeting to the departement, and if you feel strongly you could lodge a complaint, but yes I would be angry too if a social worker was due at a critical meeting and then bugs off on her Annual Leave without a murmour.

 

JsMum

[coolblue]

Thanks J'sMum, this has just got me so angry I don't think its that unreasonable to expect your social worker to let you know she won't actually be attending this very important meeting do you? Or am I being unreasonable??

No it isn't unreasonable, but bear in mind that social workers have a lot of clients and SS departments have been overstretched for years. And I mean overstretched. Ours has had to advertise three times for one senior post and it's still unfilled. Not defending poor practice, but I can see how it could come about. Hope the meeting goes well.

 

cb

[puffin]

I really understand that you absolutely have to have a social worker there - and it is bad that something wasn't arranged to make sure that someone else would be covering your case

 

But bear in mind that many people - myself included - use the *on leave* message on the work e-mail to cover a wide variety *leave* situations including urgent and unplanned leave where I perhaps don't want all and sundry knowing my business - so it could also cover

- sick leave

- compassionate leave - when a relative is sick/dies

- leave for sick children

So it doesn't necessarily mean a planned holiday but could be something more urgent

 

I guess for social workers there is no good time to take any type of leave

[lorryw]

Hello Jeanne,

I totally sympathise. My sons social worker has been off sick since August but it wasnt until I emailed a month ago that we were told. We have been waiting for several months to see if our local authority will accept a care proposal from a local company. We have been trying to get something sorted for years and are on our knees.

I am not cross with my sons care manager, she is a lovely lady and we wish her well, just the system. It seems that all her cases have just been allowed to back up which is very worrying for all concerned.

[trekster]

i can understand why that would make you upset. Have you tried ringing them and asking for a different

social worker? i have given up on mine after 5 years she only understands pensioners needs not autistic

ones (especially the associated mental health problems). i mentioned an official complaint the other

day and i should be seeing someone by the middle of next month.

 

Good luck to both of us, i wish i lived in Bristol there is an influential person in the NAS that

would help me if he could.