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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

Housing help

25 replies

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 14:46

Right, lets starts from the begining, we moved here in 2000 and only had Ds at the time.And he had been recently dignosed with cerebral palsy DD1 was born 10days after we moved. She was diagnosed with CP when she was 13 months. I also have a 3 year old now. We had an extention built in 2003 for DS so he could sleep downstsirs and I wouldn't have to lift him. He refuses to sleep downstairs because he is only 7 and doesn't like being down here while we are all upstairs! Fair enough... Now we have had to use the wheelchair in the house over the last few days because he is sereve pain and can't walk and we have realised that the extention has no turning circle and its hard to use the wheelchair in the house. yesterday when DH put him to bed (up bunkbeds, no room in the bedrooms for single beds) his leg gave way and he hurt himself. I am thinking about going to council to ask for a bungalow but I know they are going to say that he should sleep downstairs, how can I get round this? I can't carry him for much longer and he is struggling with the stairs

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Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 14:50

Also I would need a 3/4 bedroom bungalow with lots of space because of the wheelchair and possibly DD will have a wheelchair in the future, and all the equiment that would come with a disabled child. Will council build one especially for us? Although no council places are going up here, so it would be HA.

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pixel · 08/03/2005 16:35

I'm sorry you are having problems and I can't be any help with regards to council and housing. I just wondered if for now there is room downstairs for one of the other children to share a room with DS1 so that he wouldn't be on his own? I suppose it is difficult if your other children are girls but they are all still quite young so may agree to it for a while.

nutcracker · 08/03/2005 16:41

Oooooh not sure about this one. It doesn't surprise me that your extension isn't big enough as a friends parents are just now having part of their extension redone as it isn't big enough for a wheelchair to turn around. They were told this at the time of the origninal extension but insisted it would be fine.

At the end of the day your property is unsuitable and so you shoudl be eligable to go on a waiting list for something else. I don't think they would build you a specific property but they could give you a buungalow and then do another extension couldn't they ??

Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 17:29

the room downstair is only big enough for a bed and a unit. Its not big enough for two beds. Its so hard having two disabled kids in here

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coppertop · 08/03/2005 17:58

If dd1 is also likely to need a wheelchair in the future then it's definitely best to get your name down on the list ASAP.

Would the council be able to install some kind of turntable for downstairs. Something like a circular platform that you could push the wheelchair on to and then turn the platform round IYSWIM?

Still doesn't help with the downstairs bedroom though.

Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 18:12

The house just isn't big enough for two disbaled kids, the extention was bulit thinking that Ds would never have to use his wheelchair indoors but he has got bad recently and we are having to use it inside!

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coppertop · 08/03/2005 18:42

What about the possibility of 2 smaller houses knocked into one so that the rooms are bigger. You can have a lift installed to help with the stairs? My neighbour had one installed for her daughter and her house was only an average-sized semi (council-owned).

nutcracker · 08/03/2005 18:45

Thats a good idea Coppertop, my friends family have a lift (also had to change that though as the wheelchair no longer fits in it).

Wouold be hard to find two empty houses next to each other though i would think.

Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 23:02

lift could be an idea tho, where they would put it is another thing. Suppose they could have it going up into one of the cupboards upstairs! two houses together here are like golddust, wouldn't mind that idea tho. Someone I grew up, her mum had 11 kids and the council knocked two houses into one, it was flipping HUGE I think I will have to go and see my housing officer and explain everything, he is a lovely young man too, if I bat my eyelids enough and cry he might feel sorry for me and help me out

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pixiefish · 08/03/2005 23:06

mieow- my friend has MS and the council adapted a bunglaow for her- this included putting a track on the ceiling throughout the whole house so that her lift could be used anywhere in the bungalow.

Personally i think its unreasonable of your council to expect your ds to sleep downstairs away from the rest of the family.

I think that you should approach your local councillor and or MP for help on this before you contact the council. The local council could keep you waiting ages

Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 23:12

also i am scared that if there was a fire in the living room or kitchen I wouldn't be able to get to him as the extention is off the living room.

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Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 23:18

ATM thre are houses going up here all over the place, they have recently built lots of houses on my old school site and they are now building on my old primary school site, which was moved to the new estate. I have tried to find out if any of the HA are building disabled houses or bungalows and I just can't find anything on the council site.

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jmb1964 · 08/03/2005 23:26

Sounds to me as if you clearly don't have enough space for now, let alone the future. You won't get if you don't ask, so ask away. Would other people support your application to the council and HA's - GP, Health Visitor, paediatricians etc? If your ds can't use the downstairs room, there must be HEALTH AND SAFETY issues around lifting him up and down the stairs.
In the meantime, it might be worth asking about training in lifting - they do courses for carers where I live I think - so you and your dh don't do your backs in.
Good luck!

Original poster

sparklymieow · 08/03/2005 23:32

The physio is willing to help and she thinks its a good idea. I have the OT's, at Social services, backing too. I have to go to GOS tomorrow so I will ask for their support too.
I have just had a search online to find out what houses and bungalows are going up and so far have found that flats are going up on the old primary school site. DH has just reminded me that another site near the school is also being built on so I will go and see what the HO has to say.

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Tortington · 09/03/2005 00:39

the council or HA that you are with will not have a duty to re-house you. Pleeeeeeeeeease do not use the excuse that yourson doesn't want to sleep downstairs becuase he doesn't want to be on his own - they will see it as a very weak argument. what you need is to speak to your H/O and get your name down for anything suitable that comes up get on the transfer list with other H/A's.... at the same time you need an occupational therapist to come and do an assessment of your home - preferably with someone who has knowledge or control of the budget for the H/A. right now is a very good time to get these requests in ........april is a brand new money year so get there first!!!!

make sure your requests are in writing and you keep a copy. Most H/A's will be accomodating. re think the layout of your house - could one or two of your other kids sleep downstairs? do you need a bath lift, stair lift, bed lift? get your ocupational therapist to work for you.

the squeeky wheel gets the oil - keep ringing writing and making contact with them. in a few weeks go to the papers write to your councillor, head of housing,MP. letters of complaint always make someone senior get the heebies

hope this helps

Original poster

sparklymieow · 09/03/2005 09:40

I did think about asking for a stairlift and buying a bed with a pullout bed underneath so I could pull out the bed at night so that I could get rid of the bunkbed (as its no longer safe for DS) I really don't want to move and I know that as DS gets older the downstairs room will be a haven for him. Can anyone help me find a pullout bed at a reasonable price, that maybe the Family Fund will help me with the cost?

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Bozza · 09/03/2005 10:13

these are the cheapest ones in Argos. Is this the sort of price/type you were thinking of? Also know that Ikea do them. HTH

misdee · 09/03/2005 10:16

your hallway isnt wide enough for larger wheelchairs tho mieow, you will just be putting off the ineveitable.

Bozza · 09/03/2005 10:17

Also this one from Ikea is only £30 and then you could use your existing mattress off the bunk bed. I am assuming that the bunks could be dismantled so you could use one as a single bed and slide this underneath with your mattress from the other bunk bed.

misdee · 09/03/2005 10:22

the main bed in the ROBIN range is only £47 mieow. fancy going up there soon

Original poster

sparklymieow · 09/03/2005 17:05

The bunkbeds I have can't be dismantled, so it would have to be a whole new bed. I think a trip to Ikea is due too, Misdee!!

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Tortington · 09/03/2005 19:49

fogive my ignorance but arn't there smaller wheelchairs available for indoors? worth asking - also get the H/A to cost up widening your hallway. if you dont ask you wont get!

misdee · 09/03/2005 19:54

the hallway cant be widened. its at the front of the house. her ds is in a small wheelchair atm, but as he gets older he will need a lager wheelchair, and so will her dd1 possibly as well. there is no storage space for wheelchairs/equipment, they cant put a ramp on the front of the house either, in reality the place is totally unsuitable.

Tortington · 09/03/2005 20:01

oh dear, sorry to hear that - you should get your name down asap then becuase you never know how many years you will have to wait.

nutcracker · 09/03/2005 20:22

Mieow - It might be worth noting down any names on the signs that appear at the sites where the nrw houses are being built.

When i was trying to move I managed to find the website of a company that were building houses in the area, and it listed which housing associations the houses were for and the types or properties.
If you can't find a website for them then ring and ask them what they know, i did and they were quite helpful.

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