Carers refusing to care for child!

[legalseagull]

Help!

7 year old relative with sever disability and life limiting illness. cognitively he's like a newborn 😢 He needs 24/7 care, oxygen and monitoring over night. His dad has just tested positive for CV and is isolating in his bedroom. His mum is now showing symptoms. The care agency aren't sending any more carers as they're refusing to come in the house - despite being trained and having PPE. What on earth they do?! Mum needs rest as it looks likes she's got it too. She shouldn't be in contact with the sick child at all and probably won't be well enough to look after him soon.

I have no idea what they can do and who will look after him!! Thank god doctors and nurses don't just refuse to go to work.

Who coordinates the care normally? They must have a protocol. Do they have any relatives who are not in a vulnerable group who could help? Horrible horrible situation and I really feel for her

The care is with an agency who send a few different carers. All but one carer is refusing to come and the agency are just saying that's up to them. There's no contingency plan. If shit really did hit the fan the child's grandmother is the only person close by. Could he go to hospital to be carers for there? He is likely to be seriously ill, or worse, if he catches it but now there's no isolating him as there's no one to care for him. It's a bloody scandal the agency are just leaving him. What if he was an adult living alone. Would they be allowed to just leave him to die?!

I would raise a safeguarding alert with the local authority and would raise a complaint with the company whilst cc’ing the cqc in? Who is contracting the service? If it’s the local authority I would also get in touch with them.

I think social services arranged the agency

My step grandson would go to the hospice in this situation. He visits twice a year for respite so they are able to take control of his care. X

I'd call an ambulance

You have a kid who can't be cared for so needs care

Someone needs to speak to the local authority about emergency foster care / respite.

The care agency should be barrier caring. They can't just walk out and this should be a massive safeguarding concern fir the LA to deal with.

@LaurieFairyCake

I'd call an ambulance

You have a kid who can't be cared for so needs care

An ambulance?

Yes, call 111 and they're going to recommend an ambulance

A kid who CAN'T be cared for at home with extreme medical needs - fairly obviously needs care

Not sure why you felt the need to use the emoji. It was a perfectly valid question re calling an ambulance. Could you not have just explained nicely that that is is the done thing? Clearly people don't know this is protocol. My thoughts would have been social services for emergency respite.

What’s so wierd about an ambulance? He would most certainly need to be transported on one if nobody can help, He can’t just leap into the back of the car you know!

Poor child

Agree with @soundsfishie - first port of call is social services.

@Fannybawz

What’s so wierd about an ambulance? He would most certainly need to be transported on one if nobody can help, He can’t just leap into the back of the car you know!

Poor child

I didn't say it was weird. However the idea that calling an ambulance will access transport is weird. The ambulance is an emergency service. Any patient transport needs, including those done by ambulance will not arranged be on a 999 call.

I may have worded that badly, I mean the only reason for an emergency ambulance would be to take the child to A&E, however A&E isn't the place for him. I have since been corrected though as apparently that is the protocol.

Does he have any overnight respite arrangements

If so they will usually step in if the parents are too ill

Ned to contact either their own social worker or duty social worker if they aren't available

Update - he doesn't have overnight respite care so an ambulance came to collect him. He's been in hospital all week as they won't move him to a care home for the risk of contaminating the residents - despite him testing negative! His parents are heartbroken at the thought of their little boy all alone in hospital but it'll keep him safe. I'm so gutted they were completely deserted by social services. It made the local news.

Somebody's head should roll at Social Care for that.

@reefedsail

Somebody's head should roll at Social Care for that.

Why? If respite won’t take him where do you propose he go? There are very few foster families adequately trained to care for a child with complex health needs at very short notice. His primary need is his health, therefore primary responsibility should lie with health services.

But did the family actually contact the department and worker who had arranged / was coordinating the call?

@Barryisland

But did the family actually contact the department and worker who had arranged / was coordinating the call?

Yes and they said "it's not ideal..."

Not fucking ideal. Two parents with Covid caring for a child likely to die if he catches it.

They should have found alternative carers to come to the house or taken him in hospital the first day carers refused to come. They shouldn't have pissed around for days not helping until local news got hold of the story

Quote
Yes and they said "it's not ideal..."

Not fucking ideal. Two parents with Covid caring for a child likely to die if he catches it.

They should have found alternative carers to come to the house or taken him in hospital the first day carers refused to come. They shouldn't have pissed around for days not helping until local news got hold of the story

Could you have helped out for a few days?

@Barryisland

Quote Yes and they said "it's not ideal..."

Not fucking ideal. Two parents with Covid caring for a child likely to die if he catches it.

They should have found alternative carers to come to the house or taken him in hospital the first day carers refused to come. They shouldn't have pissed around for days not helping until local news got hold of the story

Could you have helped out for a few days?

No I live 300 miles away and have two toddlers

I don’t understand why the parents didn’t discuss the need for a contingency plan with SS months/years ago? There should be one in the care plan anyway.

I'm not aware that my brother's care plan includes a "what if the care agency refuse to come?" because that's absolutely ridiculous. A carer may be unable to come, but a replacement is sent immediately. They are contracted by the NHS to provide care and they have a legal duty to provide it.

I could understand a "what if both parents are ill?" contingency, but not a "what if both parents are ill and the carers refuse to provide their contractual obligations?"