I have written this letter and I would appreciate feeback on it. Cc will be going to GP, Directorate social Services, Health Minister, local Cllr, and MP. I have obviously taken out names and places in the letter for publishing on here.
I am writing to you as a concerned mother of an adult son with learning disabilities. For this purpose I am going to go back the very start to give you an overall picture of my son.
Son was born prematurely in November 1982, in BMH Munster West Germany. He was late walking and talking, and concerns that I had about his development and behaviour were put down to me being an over anxious mother. When he was 3 it was discovered that he needed grommets, this was done in BMH Munster. When he started school in West Germany, within 6 months it was decided he needed to be statemented, which was done and Son was afforded the extra provision he needed in his education.
My husband was then posted to xxxxxx in 1988 and the process of having son statemented began all over again. Once again he was given the education that he needed. Then in 1992 we moved to here. The process of statementing began again. It was here that Social services decided he did not need any special provision in his education, despite the fact all his school life he had been receiving this!! Once again my concerns as a parent were ignored!
Son then moved on to the local comprehensive School. At the age of 14 the school then contacted me regarding his failings in school, despite the fact he was in their special needs dept. So once again he was statemented and yes he needed extra provision and by going to a special School twice a week would provide it. At this time the person who came out to assess him asked why they hadn?t seen him before. When I explained the situation I was told, ? He slipped through the net?. It was during this time that he was being bullied in school so I pulled him out of the local comprehensive and he ended up going to the special needs school full time until he reached the age of 19, with ongoing assessments. He then went to the Ace dept in the local College until he was 21.
Then nothing. For 7 years son had nothing. During these 7 years he started to have seizures. Because the seizures were bad I actually contacted the social services dept and asked for some help with him. When the person who assesses what is needed came out I asked about services that son could tap into and for respite for me and the rest of my family. I was then told this was not her dept but she would hand over what I had said to the relevant parties. Whether this was done or not I have no idea.
On the 6th March 2010, son had what can only be described as a mental breakdown and ended up in a secure unit. After explaining the situation to one of the nurses there, and giving sons list of schools to him, I was told he would be moved in the morning as where he was, was not appropriate for him. Of course this didn?t happen. For a week I was fighting to get him moved to somewhere else that was appropriate. I spoke to the head (team leader) of the Disability Team, to be told, ?? I have worked here for ten years and have never heard of your son?? I pointed out that he went to a special needs, so they must have a record of him there. No they didn?t, all records that they have (had) of my son they lost!(although sons GP has all of them) On the Friday son was assessed in the secure unit, and once again I was told..? why haven?t we come across him before??? To which I replied..?Because you lost him!? At the end of the assessment I was told it may take a week or two to assign a social worker to son, by this time I had had enough and told her, ?No, there had better be one in place by the end of working hours today or by lunchtime Monday or I would take things further son was allowed home that Friday from the secure unit. That afternoon I had a phone call off social services that MENCAP had already got a social worker assigned. So a charity had done in a few hours what social services said they couldn?t do for a few weeks!!
His social worker then after seeing son went on holiday and then went on sick leave, so for three weeks I heard nothing. It was at this point I contacted a local councillor , whose help I found invaluable in this situation.
Resources were then put in place for son to enable him to have at least a better quality of life than what he did have.
On Sunday 3rd July, son attacked me. He punched around the head and face as well as kicking me when I was on the floor. I phoned the emergency number for social services to be told I had to phone the police first. Which I then did son was arrested for assault. When I phoned social services back I spoke to a xxxx and was asked why my son had not been statemented until he was 14! Of course he was, as I explained to her, you have his records somewhere, you just can?t find them!.
A neighbour went to the station as the appropriate adult for son and a solicitor was present as well. It was after the interview when everyone were told that son would be going to xxxxxxx xxxxxxx Hospital for one or two nights to be assessed, in the meantime I had had a phone call off the police officer, updating me on son. I was also told that they might put him into a Travel lodge unsupported because he could take his medication on his own! I then received a phone call off a social worker telling me this was an option they were looking into, as xxxxxxx xxxxxx Hospital would not take him, as he didn?t have any mental health issues as far as they could tell. He then told me he would get back to me. The neighbour who went to be the appropriate adult came back and told me that they were wrong because everyone in the station were waiting for social services to pick son up to take him to xxxxxx xxxxxx Hospital. Of course this didn?t happen, another phone call off social services asking if there were any relatives he could stay the night with, I told them no. I could here a phone ringing in the background and was told sorry I?m busy right now I will have to phone you back. The last phone call I had that night was at 11.30pm, this time I was told we are having problems placing your son, and would it be possible for him to come home just for the night! This is beside the fact I have an 8 yr old that witnessed the assault and had also been advised by the police he was not to come back here. Besides the fact that I was still in shock to then find that social services couldn?t find suitable placement for him and that they were insensitive to not only my feelings but those of my 8yr old!!
In the morning I had a phone call off Adult placement telling me they had placed son with a couple who had a child just months older than my youngest. I expressed my concern at this as noise is a trigger for son and children get louder as they play. The reply was they have a nice quiet child and he will be going to school. Now these people don?t know my youngest, he is also a quiet little boy till he starts playing and like all children the decibels go up!
What I would like to know is how can they just lose someone from their records, not once but twice!!! I have been told it was the transition from children?s services to adult ones. I?m sorry but this just isn?t good enough. Son was more able when he left college than he is now, and with help would have probably already been in supported living accommodation and maybe even had a small part time job. I find the failings in social services to be unbelievable to say the least.
At this moment in time son is still with this couple and their young son.
I look forward to hearing your response to this letter.
Yours Sincerely