Jump to content
Sally44

LGO has awarded compensation

Recommended Posts

I was not expecting this at all.

 

When we were waiting for the LA Social Services/Education and Health to agree WHO was going to fund our son's residential stays in school, this indecision went on for a couple of months. So I spoke with the LGO and lodged a complaint.

 

Anyway, there was a further meeting about a month later and Social Care finally agreed to fund this one night [although 2-3 nights a week had been recommended by the Social Worker].

 

Anyway, I got a phone call yesterday to tell me that because of the length of time it had taken for those involved to agree the funding, the LGO had Ordered that they pay us compensation. And it is a considerable amount.

 

So I just wanted to post that the LGO can be effective - as our previous dealings with them had been farcical because they believed everything the LA told them. Not this time.

 

So, as from next week, my son will be having one night residential to see how he is and how they can work with his anxiety and OCD.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Sally, it seems ages ago now that you first mentioned starting this process, you've been waiting a long time!

 

I'm glad that something has come of it, and I do hope that they can help your son with his anxieties and OCD, I think that the one night a week respite could do you the world of good too.

 

How's he getting on with the germ/dirt stuff? Is it still as big a problem for him/you?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My son is now taking 100mg of Sertraline in he mornings. He is definately less anxious. But his OCD behaviour is now 'normal' ie. not touching handles, having frequent baths, not wearing clothes etc. So, although I would say there is progress in that he is not distressed about it, I do know that the intrusive thoughts are still there and that his behaviour is somewhat ingrained now. But he can also conquer his fears sometimes. For example today he was angry with me because he had had a bath and could only find a 'used' towel that he used again. Using something 'twice' was a big 'no go' for him, because once it has been used it is dirty and needs washing. So some improvement there - but the anxiety and fear is still there.

 

We all went out for a meal tonight and he was very excited about it. That is an improvement. However we had to go by car - there is no way he would agree to walk on "dirty pavements covered in dog poo and where flies have landed" [his words].

 

He has got upset and emotional a number of times in school. I'm glad he's done that, so school are seeing how upset he gets and how long it takes for him to recover. And now that I am working I have to make him go into school on bad days, whereas before I would have given him the day off to recover. So it is harder for him.

 

He's excited about staying overnight. I just hope he is realistic about it. Too often he has an extremely high 'expectation' of what will happen and what he will do and how good he will be - and then when that expectation is not realised he gets extremely upset and spends alot of time in what I can only describe as a mood of self loathing.

 

I'm just surprised that the LGO Ordered compensation and Social Services are going to pay it! I had asked the LGO to become involved because everyone kept having meetings and nothing was happening. Now I am working I need to organise his evenings, which is very hard as I have to depend on family who are not really well enough or capable of looking after him whilst I am working. His Social Worker told me that they would regard my son as being "at risk" if he was at home and no adult was with him. And yet they would not agree to fund any residential stays eventhough their own report recommend 2-3 nights a week.

 

Although another parent with another child could organise child care, it is not like that. Firstly he would not agree to go anywhere and you could not physically force him. And there is nowhere that has the expertise or experience of dealing with a child like my son with ALL his needs, especially his anxiety and OCD which can make him very angry and emotional within seconds. Only his school could meet those needs.

 

I told the LGO I felt that my hands were being tied in that they were threatening me with taking my son into care if I went to work. I was not disagreeing with SS. I agree that he needs specialist adult supervision at all times - so that being the case they should PROVIDE IT!. And it should be provided as part of his Statement.

 

His school have said they will see how the one night a week goes. And if it goes well, they will call an interim review, and they will put the case for his residential stays to be increased and for the Statement to be amended to include that in part 3 [as we will then have evidence of it being an educational need].

 

It is all rather strange really, because although my husband and I recognise that he needs to be residential for some of the week, or maybe all the week - it is very hard to let your child go. We would miss him terribly - although we would see him at weekends and school holidays. I just keep trying to focus on what is going to be better for him in the long term.

Edited by Sally44

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Sally, I've not been on for a while and it's great to hear that you're finally getting somewhere and of the success with the LGO!

 

My own request for a core assessment in April which resulted in a refusal and a subsequent complaint is still ongoing! I was promised lots of things including assessment, 3 months ago but it's still not happened. I asked for stage 2 and the LA said it was stage 2 for them to turn around and say it wasn't moved to stage 2 as they'd expected me to withdraw my request after the meeting where all this fictional support was offered! It is now at stage 2 and the independent person is currently investigating.

 

I think I may complain to the LGO once this is all sorted. I officially made the complaint 6 months ago!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I phoned the LGO after the social worker had completed his report and recommended 2-3 nights a week residential at his school. Yet there were a number of meetings between SS, the LA and NHS where they could not agree who should fund it.

 

I was starting work beginning of November and I told the LGO that I needed to sort this out because SS were also telling me that if my son was left on his own it would be a safeguarding issue and they would have to intervene.

 

So I asked the LGO if they could investigate because both the LA and Social Services are BOTH employed by the local authority.

 

Also I had written copies of correspondence I had written to the Local Authority [Director of Social Services] a year earlier asking for a Core Assessment, and nothing happened. [Prior to that I had regularly phoned and asked for an assessment but nothing ever happened, and because I had just 'phoned' and not 'written' I could not prove they had been ignoring me for years.

 

So after I received no response to my letter, a year later [after we had won our Educational Tribunal - and so I had more time on my hands], I followed up my request for my son to have a Core Assessment and for me to have a Carers Assessment. I lodged a formal complaint with my local authority with the person you should complain to. They ensured that my complaint was put infront of the right person and an assessment was finally carried out.

 

But then came the delaying tactics because no one department wanted to fund it. So I contacted the LGO.

 

We now have funding for just one night a week. But if that goes well and he makes progress, the school are going to call an early review and ask for additional residential funding. I think my son needs it for the social interaction and for them to work on his OCD and anxiety.

 

But I must say I was surprised that the LGO ordered that they were to pay compensation - I never asked for it, and have not received anything from the LGO to say they sought compensation on our behalf. But it will be nice when it comes because my washing machine broke down about a fortnight ago and I don't have the money to replace it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I complained to the LGO before it was sorted out. The LGO can investigate administration and not necessarily outcomes. If it is related to a Statement the appeal process has to deal with that and that means the LGO cannot get involved.

 

But if you have written and asked for a core assessment and nothing has happened, then I would involve the LGO now because having them seeking information and correspondence from the LA could get you the assessment you've been asking for all along.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Sally. I thought I had to go through the complaints procedure first but the way my complaint has been handled is shocking! The social services manager who was dealing with it left in September (I've not been told officially but a school friend of my husband is on maternity leave ATM but normally works in her team) and no one appears to have picked it up. The complaints team have lied to me as has the elected member and the only time any contact has been made is when I've chased them up.

 

My daughter is in special school now (generic lea) and at the first meeting with them to change the CAF to a family CAF, so it can include my other children, they mentioned respite. Hopefully it will be discussed at the first family CAF.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well done Sally44 especially for avoiding giving up and standing your ground. Really hope your son can get the OCD help he desperately needs and hope the break helps you as well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

He really enjoyed his first sleepover. They played some games together and watched a film.

He's got a virus at the moment and running a high temperature - 39.7 last night! So he's not in school this week.

 

What I have found in getting this weekly residential funding for my son is that it has happened because I followed the procedure meticulously. Previously I was phoning social services and they kept saying the message would be passed on and that someone would phone me and nothing ever happened. Then, finally, I was advised by the National Centre for Independent Living to put my request in writing to the Head of Social Services for our LA. Then I become involved with the Educational Tribunal, and forgot all about that letter. Then, going through my papers I came across this letter and it was now a year since I had written it and I had heard absolutely nothing. So I emailed the NCIL again, and they said that every LA has a complaints procedure and a complaints person, and that I should lodge a formal complaint and send them a copy of my letter, which I did.

 

Since doing that, the complaint has been taken on board, and Social Services wrote to me to apologise for the delay and arranged for a social worker to come and assess my son and also myself as his carer. This happened just before the Annual Review, and the SW attending this review, and his report was submitted as part of the AR. The SW recommended 2-3 nights a week residential.

 

Then the LA Inclusion Officer and Social Services had a number of meetings where they were arguing over 'who' would fund this residential time. So I lodged a complaint with the LGO, because it is the same LA who funds it, just different departments. The LGO took up my case and after looking into my complaint ordered that they compensated me.

 

The school have also said that if this one night a week is successful, that they will hold an interim review and ask for 3 nights residential a week, which would be perfect for him and us.

 

So, we haven't done anything 'special', just made sure that we made our complaint legitimate, and followed it through the processes that are often already there, but no-one knows about them.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...