Section 20 and Direct Payments

[Sally44]

<p>Just wanted to update people on the current situation with our son.</p>

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<p>Childrens Services have now offered us 5 nights a week residential during term time.  And they are also providing 10-15 hours a week support during the school holidays via Direct Payments.</p>

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<p>It has been a roller coaster of a ride.  We have had problems with all professionals involved.  And we thought, at one point, that childrens services might take him into care.  But they didn't, and they tell us that was never on the agenda anyway - but they did put that in reports as a possible outcome.</p>

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<p>It has been very scary dealing with childrens services.  And that is going to be on-going contact under a section 20.  But we are trying to work together for the benefit of our son.</p>

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<p>We are hoping that this residential will help him with his anxiety over transitions and will enable him to have a consistent environment where his OCD obsessions and compulsions can be supported.</p>

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<p>We have also had a breakthrough with clinical psychology now agreeing to accept a referal for CBT for our son.  I have posted about that as a separate topic.</p>

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<p>So we are hoping this is all positive.  And we have achieved what we were seeking to.  It hasn't been easy.  It has been painful.  I don't really know what advice I would give to another family.  Childrens Services have the power to take parental responsibility off you.  And Childrens Services do  not have any real understanding of ASD and mental health conditions.  Some of those behaviours they attributed to our poor parenting.  But we have managed to get CAHMS and the Developmental Paediatrician to attend meetings to set them straight on that.  </p>

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<p>We have alot of experience and were able to turn that view around.  I am sure other families may not be able to do that and could be portrayed as incapable.  So think carefully before involving them.  But for us it is looking like it could now have a positive outcome for our son.  Which was the whole point of involving them in the first place.</p>

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<p>The only thing I would advise any other family involved with Childrens Services, is to ensure that other relevant professionals are invited to attend eg. CAHMS, or Paediatrician and make sure that YOU invite them.  Don't wait for Childrens Services to do it.  They  kept telling me for 6 months that they were going to invite CAHMS.  They never did.</p>

Edited May 24, 2014 by Sally44

[cathcart3303]

Glad to hear that you are finally getting the help for your son he needs.

 

It's shocking how children's social services carries on.

 

I hope you are now all able to move on and start to enjoy family life with the support we all think is a no brainer apart from children's services. Well done for keeping with it.

[Sally44]

Thanks. It hasn't been easy. It has taken us years to get to where we are now. And Childrens Services are scary people to deal with. I can easily see how children get taken into care that don't need to be. And yet others are left with parents who end up injuring or even killing their child.

 

They were assuming that some of my sons behaviour was self harm, or neglect by me for not stopping him carrying out some behaviors. But thank goodness CAHMS explained that these were not intended self harm behaviours, they were ASD and/or OCD behaviors that they were not concerned about in terms of self harm, but were indications of the ASD/OCD.

 

And I had to finally invite CAHMS and the Developmental Paediatrician because Childrens Services did not invite them for 6 months! So they were not seeking any medical advice on his diagnoses at all. Just pointing the finger at parents. Very frightening for us.

 

So I don't know if I would feel able to 'recommend' any other family to go through the process as we did. Because it could very easily gone very wrong for my son and the family. But for now, I think we are making some headway.