Professionals meeting - what happens and do I find out?

[rebl]

My ds's psychologist is wanting to call a professionals meeting. She feels that the communication between them all is poor and they need to all sit down around the table with ALL of them and thrash it out because as a team they are letting my ds down. We've got CAF but quite frankly key people repeatedly fail to turn up and we're just getting disjointed progress. My 1st question after her telling me that she was calling this meeting was does everyone HAVE to come or can they still not bother to turn up? She couldn't answer that question. Can anyone here answer that?

I also asked if I could get feedback from that meeting and again she wasn't sure. Does anyone know if I would?

There are people on ds's team who have been part of his care for 5 years and have not been to a caf. There is in particular 1 key consultant who doesn't turn up and who doesn't communicate their thoughts with anyone. I want to get this all thrashed out but I'm not totally comfortable about not being present and hearing what they're saying about ds and me and the family. I guess it just feels a bit wierd not to be involved in such a discussion when in fact obviously we know him best. Its almost like they want to say things about us that aren't nice and want to blame us and not give us a chance to defend ourselves or explain. But then she is sure its not parenting so my worry is unfounded really!

This sounbds like a case conference and if so you are entitled to be present. After all you are part of the team. An essential part, I might add!

Okay. I know it is frustrating to know of a party that you aren't invited to, especially when the outcome could affect your family and ds, but sometimes professionals do need to meet behind closed doors in order to yell at each other, which would be impossible in front of a parent.

You may or may not get 'official' feedback from the meeting, but you can always ask under the subject data access request for the minutes. To be honest it would be good practise for them to write them in a way that parents can read them and send them to you anyway. In fact, you can request, in advance, the agenda and purpose for the meetiing and ask to add one or two items that you would want thrashed out if this meeting is going to be beneficial for your ds, and then for feedback on those items.

Ask officially, and in writing.

A point about a CAF. Did you know that inviduals can be assigned responsibilities and tasks regardless of whether they attend? A good strategy in the future is to give the highest admin and workload to the person who is not there. They will turn up at the next one.

Another possible idea is that you ask if you can attend for the last half hour of the meeting, or that a CAF is arranged shortly afterwards to put together the new plan.

hth

I agree with crystalglasses you should be involved. I was involved when there was a meeting about a caf for my son. I would ask why you cant be involved.

Star Thank you. I'll write a letter requesting the minutes of the meeting prior to the meeting. I also like your thinking about the CAF and assigning tasks to absent people . I'll definatly do that at the next one. We have got another CAF in July, I don't know if the professionals meeting will be before that or after it.

She was quite clear about me NOT being invited. I do get it that sometimes things need to be thrashed out behind closed doors and I also get that my ds is complex and there will be things said and thrown around that I don't necessarily need to hear because they're just ideas. I guess its just odd not being present at something that is so important to our ds and family.