Preparing for a social care assessment

[Fififizz]

Hi, any tips please on what happens/how to prepare for a social care/carers assessment?

I have been pre warned it can be a very hard process to stomach and I did try and get us under the CwD team but our LA has a ridiculously high bar for this team and won’t budge.

I want some respite and some support for my son to navigate the teen years and develop his independence skills, confidence, support friendships outside the home. I’ve done my best to support him but in my opinion he needs a mentor who can support and guide him to develop his independence skills and a social life outside the home and is closer to him in age and understand how things work these days.

Thanks.

Have you already got an EHCP, OP?

No advice, other than to take a really deep breath, grit your teeth and try not to take anything personally. There is wide acnowledgement that the current assessment process is not fit for purpose especially when not conducted by the disabled children's team, but by SWs whose main focus in safeguarding/child protection.

Good luck; hope you get some additional support out of it.

Contact’s guide is a good starting point for understanding the legislation and process.

How old is DS and does he have an EHCP? Some of what you describe is educational and Preparation for Adulthood provision, which should be in F of the EHCP.

If the CwD team has refused because of criteria such as must have a learning disability, that is unlawful. Luke Clements has written about this and much more (some of it in conjunction with Cerebra and University of Leeds School of Law).

@Eaudesud
Thanks, yes have an EHCP. I wasn’t ready to face this for a long while after that process!

Thanks for the heads up. I’d been forewarned it can be yet another torturous process.

I’ll will let them know if it’s a wholly inappropriate safeguarding process though because I have asked and asked and argued to be under CwD team and they come up with nonsense reasons as refusals but still won’t budge.

@OvertakenByLego
Thanks. I looked at contact stuff and it helped. Our LA won’t budge on CwD and complaining, ombudsman etc takes so long. I’ll suck it up and just appeal the EHCP if necessary.

13 and it has been hard but the teenage years are a whole new level! We have specialist setting who are great but it’s life outside of school we need help navigating to develop confidence, self esteem independence/life skills, a healthy friendship group etc. As parents we’ve tried to guide and support but it’s difficult in the teenage years!

From the Y9 review PfA should be looked at. Provision in F of the EHCP can include support outside of school, and much of what you describe can be considered SEP. Where provision can be covered by F of the EHCP it is far better to pursue it via F as it is more easily enforceable.

I appreciate you may not want to, but depending on specifics, JR may be possible if the LA’s CwD team policy is unlawful. Far quicker than the LGO.

@OvertakenByLego
Thanks, I’ll see. Based on previous experience with my LA I’m not looking forward to it or expecting it to be helpful or fruitful but it’s like a stupid game they expect us parents to play of jumping through ridiculous hoops to try and get support! I’ll consider JR but I might just be better spending any cash on a private assessment and then just appealing.