Social worker ?

[MelowMeldrew]

About 2 and ahalf years ago we requested some respite help from the Social Services, then heard no more ! Recently and since the lad started at the Autistic unit, some well-meaning teacher suggested we ask (Guess who !), the social services to give us sonme help with respite They asked on our behalf and 3 months later still a deafening silence.

 

Then last week I had a letter from the social services childrens dept, saying "Your son's social worker Ms ********, has now left the dept, do you still wish for assistance ? if not we will delete your name from our listing", I've had a social worker ? when ? nobody ever told me ! my son is 10 years old now and never seen one ... anyone else got a dept like this, hardly worth the bother asking now. His last school teacher asked too, and they said they'd never seen a worker either or had a response from them, what a shower.

 

It seems that when I was sent a letter a few years ago asking if I wanted my son's name on the disabled children's register (essential if I want a free swimming pass !), then they stick a social workers name on your child's name, but that's all the 'involvement' there is ! Of course it covers them when e complain they are like phantoms and nobody ever sees them,and not taking any notice of us or our children. So that's another LEA con I got to be aware of...

[loulou]

Hi,

 

Yes, i have had similar experiences with SS.

 

I have been waiting for SS help for 8 months. Even when my son tried to kill himself (age 6), they said they couldn't help because we didn't fit their criteria! What a joke.

 

Everytime i call the disabled children's team, they put me on hold, or i seem to get cut off.

 

I eventually got through, and was asked, "What exactly is it you want?". Uh, some help and support would be nice.

 

Outrageous.

 

Loulou x

Edited July 5, 2005 by loulou

[mossgrove]

You have a legal right to be asessed by social services under the Childrens act. See:

 

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=305&a=4322

 

The relevant extract is below:

 

5. I think I'm going to need help from social services what should I do?The first step is to write to your local social services department, explaining that you have a child with an autistic spectrum disorder and asking for an assessment. A model letter which you can use as the template for your own is provided at the end of this factsheet.

 

Children with disabilities have rights to an assessment under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. The local authority then has a duty to provide any services necessary to meet their needs.� In theory this means that the local authority could fund virtually anything if it is necessary for the child's development.� In practice disabled children and their families tend to be offered residential and home based respite care but very little else.�

 

Lastly, the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 and the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 require local authorities to assess the needs of carers and where necessary to provide services to meet those needs. If you as a parent request an assessment for your child you should also request a carer's assessment.�

 

6.� What will the assessment be like?The government guidance on assessing children in need (Frameworks for Assessment of Children in Need, 2000) states that it is expected that within one working day of a referral coming in, a social services department should decide what response is required. If the decision is to take no action you should be notified promptly and given reasons for this. If the decision to do something is made, a social worker should contact you to carry out an initial assessment within seven working days. An initial assessment will help the department identify whether or not your child is in need, what services may be needed and whether the case is urgent or not. They will need to see and speak to your child at this stage as well.� �

 

If you click on the 'Appendices' link at the bottom of the page you will find a sample letter to modify for your own uses (Perhaps listing the difficulties that you experience on a day-to-day bassis as well as mentioining the level of DLA received).

 

You will also find a pre-drafted formal complaint letter incase they fail to respond properly!

 

I hope this helps.

 

Simon

Edited July 5, 2005 by mossgrove

[tizzmeclare]

Hi Melow / Loulou,

 

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Careers Support, who recomended that I contact SS for both an assessment for my son and one for myself as his carer. To date, I've not asked, but after reading your posts, it seems like it might be a waste of time anyway.

 

Does anyone have any postive experience with SS, does anyone think that they can support and help our children?

 

tizz

[nellie]

I would just like to add, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers are excellent at giving advice and support. I would advise anyone having difficulty with SS to give them a call.

http://www.carers.org/home

 

I remember some years ago asking SS for respite care, a very nice social worker came to see us, he spent two hours chatting and drinking our coffee. He finally stated he had no respite care to offer, but would we consider being respite carers!!!!

 

Nellie xx

[mossgrove]

There are people out there who do get help from SS.

 

Because SS are so overloaded most of the time, they have atendency to resist making such provision until pushed into a corner. If you are polite, firm and quote the relevant legislation there is a good chance of getting somehwere.

 

If the SS asesss that you have needs but do not provide anything to meet them, you may also be able to claim direct payments for the cost of buying in the provision you need. I know of one case where the parents have been able to get SS to pay for their child to spend a night at their child's school which is residential for out of area children, but their child lives locally so does not normally stay overnight. The school will accomodate overnight for an additional fee but this would normally be paid for by the parents and it isn't cheap. I believe SS are paying for one night a term, which isn't much but can make a big difference if you never get any respite.

 

Simon

Edited July 5, 2005 by mossgrove

[sharron]

we have quite a nice social worker at the minute we have been turned down twice for respite care we was told that they are trying to do away with resadential respite as the child is better cared for in his own enviroment with added support so we are supposed to have k going to a saturday club once a month a holiday club and a mencap babysitter we we have not got any of it at the minute we have been waiting for 6 months now we have been lucky k is going on an adventure hoilday with social services for 5 nights so at least we are geting a break this year even if i don't move away from the phone.

sharron

[CarerQuie]

I've just had a social worker allocated form the Children with Disabilities team.He is hopeful of getting me a Carer for 2 hours after School every day.I've got Caring for You (a local caregiver) coming to see me on Friday.He is also hopeful of getting SS funding for my son's summer playschemes,too.

 

It has taken a while to get one but so far,so good.xx

[BusyLizzie100]

Hi,

 

We asked for SS help a year ago. IT took ages for them to visit and it's taken until now to get some sort of 'care package' together. BUT...

 

The goalposts kept changing all the time, and whenever I tried to help myself by changing working hours etc, I was told I'd have to wait longer to see how that improve things - I'd have been better off just letting everything go!

 

In the end we have a small amount of extra care help a week (average about 4 hours), but I've just found out it's a temporary measure 'until I get back on my feet again...' What????

 

I have 2 sons on the spectrum, they're not going to change and I'm not going to turn into Supermum in 2 months. What's temporary about it?