to think my local Social Services are a bunch of charlatans?

[FlaminNoraImPregnantPanda]

I'm so very, very angry at them. At best they are utterly incompetent and at worst they are dishonest and stepping way outside their remit. Sorry, I'm pregnant and need to rant to release some of the stress so I can stop crying and calm down.

I have AS and need a little bit of support in the home. I'm not in the UK and here there is a specialist unit at the hospital to support people with autism. They have done a referral to the local SS for me. There are certain support services which adults with autism are entitled to by law in this country, once a referral is made.

SS have rejected this referral as they say they think my difficulties are down to low self-asteem. In their opinion I don't have autism. Despite a team of autism experts carrying out a full assessment and diagnosing autism. Their report was full of blatant mistakes and outright falsehoods. EG saying things were said in our meeting which weren't. I can prove this as the whole thing was recorded.

The autism unit couldn't believe the referral was rejected. They deal with people in my circumstance all day every day. They say they have never had a referral rejected before and the fact they are dismissing my diagnosis is unacceptable. So we appealed to the council's social services appeal board. The appeal included reports from my consultant, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychologist and a full and detailed correction of all the mistakes from me. I was told that if this appeal failed the file is then automatically passed to the County Court for review.

It was rejected.

So for the past 6 months I've been waiting for the County Court appeal, which is all done on the file, not in person. I've just got a letter from the County Court saying my appeal will be done on 27th December and if I want to have any further evidence taken into account it has to reach them by Friday. They have sent me a copy of the file to date which they have received for me to review. They have only been sent the original Social Services report and a note stating that I was asked for further information, as were the hospital unit, but we have declined to submit further information.

I can't believe that these people are given responsibility for organising care for vulnerable people. I wouldn't trust them to care for an ant farm.

I've tried to get hold of the hospital unit, the court clerk, a translator, one of the incompetents at Social Services, etc but of course, no bugger is around as it's Christmas.

I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack.

/rant

:(

Onebad social services must first accept an assessment visit. Which they have obviously completely rejected and feel they are qualified to reject her diagnosis! How can you think that's ok?

I'm telling you how it is. There are strict criteria to getting a ramp paid for by social services via a DFG.

OP is not in the UK.

So if someone posted on here saying 'I can't get into my house but they won't even come and assess me for a ramp, you would call them entitled?

I don't know how ss works in the ops country but here everyone is entitled to an assessment, not necessarily access to public funds and onward referral but are entitled to an assessment. I find it very bizarre she has been dismissed so out of hand as she has stated.

Everyone can be assessed here in the uk. Chances are though they will either have a bloody long wait or won't be eligible

ss obviously dont feel op needs support & who is paying for this to go through court? ss only support those in proper need & cant support everyone with a disability - i presume op can claim attendance allowance which will cover any "help" she needs so why want more from ss?!

Perhaps the op has been assessed as a want and not a need

I have my husband. He works extremely long hours but he's good when he's around. My family are all back in the UK but don't keep in contact with me. I don't know anyone else. My occupational therapist is nice, I've been trying to get in contact with her all day, but she doesn't appear to be around today. I'll try again tomorrow.

If you are entitled by law in your country then surely SS are breaking the law?

This sounds so shit. And right before christmas. I am so sorry :(

Is there any way you could go to the specialist unit to speak to someone rather than ring?

As for those who are attacking the OP, would someone really put themselves through that stress if they didnt need the support? Just because its not a physical disability doesnt mean its any less difficult.

So :( that people still think this way in 2012.

Onebad. That isn't true in all parts of the uk. I got an assessment pretty quickly and was referred for support etc for DS and my social worker was wonderful. I suppose though I didn't need support for his behaviour. I could have let him carry on hurting himself when he got so anxious. I suppose it was a want. I must be an entitled scrounger just like the OP

Just because SS don't consider a person eligible does not mean it is a want not a meet! All it means it that the criteria threshold is at a certain point due to financial issues.

Oh, that is awful, OP. I'm appalled they would decide that you 'don't have' autism despite you having a specialist's diagnosis (besides which why the heck couldn't you have low self esteem and autism?! Do they not bother to think of that?).

No advice but I hope you get it sorted.

trueblood - your comments are disgusting. The OP has obviously planned her pregnancy carefully as she is well aware she is meant to be getting support designed for people with her needs. And now she is justifiably upset that she is not getting it.

Like I said in the uk every person who requests an assessment is entitled to one.

*need

"ss obviously dont feel op needs support & who is paying for this to go through court? ss only support those in proper need & cant support everyone with a disability - i presume op can claim attendance allowance which will cover any "help" she needs so why want more from ss?!"

Maybe because she feels ss have made a mistake in their assessment of her needs?

Can't remembe what country the OP is in: if it is Scandinavia, then the County Court would cover what we know as the LA, so would be the appropriate instance: not talking about sueing SS, but merely about appealing through the correct channels.

Btw, onebad, why do you assume because you're 'baffled' by the courts that it's strange the OP can manage them? Maybe she is just a wee bit brighter than you, eh?

Oh my God there are some revolting posts here.

Autism is a DISABILITY. The OP requires support with this due to her needs changing.

Would you deride someone requiring a prosthesis post amputation in the same way?

I've reported the most disablist posts.

So glad others are here talking sense now. I was really starting to worry at the start of the thread. Onebad you keep assuming things without info from the OP.

In fact OP instead of moving this thread could you start a new one in a different area? Then certain people wouldn't follow you there?

Thank you to those who have been kind. I'm not going to respond to this thread again. I wish I hadn't posted it now. I was hoping for a bit of support when I have nobody to turn to. Instead it's been a stark reminder of why I have nobody to turn to. Too many horrible, unkind people out there who only want to hurt me more. :(

I am sorry you are going through this worry. Prehaps social services feel that many people with autism are excellent parents. They are (quite rightly) rejecting the idea that having autism makes someone a bad idea. Often autistic mothers are excellent. They have provide consistant parenting and look after the baby's needs well.

It is hard to know what to suggest as you are not in the UK. If you were in the UK then prehaps a health visitor or a community pychiartic nurse would be a more appriopiate person to support you than a social worker. A mother with autism is at massive risk of postnatal depression.

Having a baby is extra hard for someone with autism because it is a huge life change. A baby upsets anyone's routine, there are risks of social isolation when anyone has a baby.

Ignoring the disablist posts...

Op I don't know what country you're in, but are there any patient advocate groups, either nationally or attached to the hospital - the equivalent of IPSEA, for example?