How do I get hold of a social services case file?

[pecanpie]

To keep it brief, we are concerned about social services negligence in the case of my husband's grandmother, who was considered to be 'vulnerable' according to some correspondece we have seen. We'd like to get hold of her case file for further clarity/to further some more complex investigations. How do we go about this?

Hi Pecanpie,

Ask for an access to records leaflet from your local government office, this should tell you all you need to know about having access to the files, however it can be a lengthy process but the leaflet should actually explain all this.

Thanks!

She can apply for the records under the data protection act 1998. The council should have a webpage explaining how to do a data protection act request, they may charge a small fee (~£10) for the file to be copied. You may need to get power of attorney to get access unless she is capable of signing the data protection act request that you can draft for her yourselves. See here for good advice on power of attorney.

You could also ask her GP and health service NHS to see her medical records, under the Access to Medical Records act.

There should have been referrals and exchange of communication between Health and social services.

Thanks for the advice. AllSheepareWhite, unfortunately she died last week. We're a bit concerned that social services didn't act upon what they knew. It seems her medical carer has been keeping an hourly log book as she was concerned about the circumstances of DH aunt's involvement with day to day care. It seems she was pushing the attending medical carer to withold medications etc. Fun and games in my family at the moment!

Make a complaint to Social Services. They may disclose what happened in responding to the complaint.

Brillian lucinda. Thanks.

pecan, as per your other thread are you concerned that your dh's grandmother's death may have suspicious circumstances?

From the hourly notes made by carers to cover their own backs and from some copies of letters sent to GP about support such as Macmillan which was turned away, we've found out a few odd things have been going on, that GM was labelled 'vulnerable' but that ss did absolutely nothing. We want a clearer idea as to why.