Blardy social services - anyone know what my rights are?

[nikos]

We've been awarded 4 hours per week respite in term time and 10 hours per week respite in holidays. We had a great carer started with us before Christmas. The agency she works for were paid by social services but they have decided to end their contract with the council so we have lost her. (She didn't want to do direct payments and I don't really want to either).
The service was to end in April. But the council have now led us up three false trails to find alternative respite and we are now left with no one. I'm livid as I have had to go through an assessment for my son with each of these three false leads.
Can anyone tell me what my rights are? If we are assessed by them as leading this level of respite do they have a duty of care to provide it?
Why are they such a shower of incompetents?

Feel for you.We went through a similar situation with our son but eventually got great carers,but had to use dp.

Did you advertise for your own carer? I would rather not go down the whole direct payments route as it seems such a palaver.

There should be a support service for DP's to guide you through the process (well, there's one here but it isn't much cop - you may have a better one). It is a palaver but probably one that becomes easier with time and experience.

Otherwise, do some detective work of your own about alternative respite services. SS won't usually tell you about them as they don't want people to take them up and spend 'their' money

my son has been awarded 12 hours per week respite with a childminder over the summer, social services pay her direct for the 12 hours a week for 6 weeks and i just use those hours how i want. are there any childminders they can recommend to you?

I dont have any experience of respite, but my understanding is that if your child has been assessed and needs a service, they have to provide.

When i moved Borough, a service my ds had in previous Borough, new Borough didnt have, but because he had a need for it, they either had to provide service or an alternative.

The alternative in this case was new Borough paying the old Borough to continue the service.

Hope that is of some help to you. I have no idea how it works for respite, but suspect the principle is the same.

I have written an email cataloguing all the events and copying to various heads of service. Have said I will take it to my MP if we don't get anywhere.
I tried to come to social services with an open mind but so far they are the most incompetent and useless agency I have had to deal with.

Niko, sounds like you have it covered. i had to make an official complaint just to get an answer. Both services were claiming it was the others responsibility. Sometimes its the only way. I also give everyone a time limit in which to reply.

Good luck, i hope you get some results soon.

Nikos, we had a similar situation, we were assessed for dd1, given a respite carer via SS, who was then removed from their employ due to alleged child protection issues.... We then had no-one for months.

I emailed our MP, who took up the case - it was pretty black and white really, SS had assessed us as needing certain hours, but were failing to provide the care. MP wrote to Head of Children, School and Families at local council. We also ended up on the website of a national paper, with the story.

It took months, it was stressful, in fact it was horrendous, I got fobbed off time and time again, but I refused to give up, I called/emailed EVERY DAY (!) and I have to say that the MP and his PA were superb.

We now have the respite - dd1 went to the lady's house for the first time last Friday for an overnight stay.

Good luck.

I've given them a 5 working days time limit to answer my questions.
Pheasant - well done for keeping going with it, but is so depressing that we have to put so much effort in when we are already stretched from caring.
I can't understand why they are like this. I have worked for a council in another field to social work, and we would never have been allowed to get away with this. Before I was involved with social services I would read stories on here and not quite believe things could be that bad. Goodness me I've had my eyes opened.
If there is one thing I've learned it is never believe what anyone from social services promises you on the phone. You have to pin them down to time limits and what exactly they are going to do.

Yep, get EVERYTHING in writing.

With our case, I think I got to a point where I was so far in I just couldn't let it go. I ended up with the Deputy to the Director of Children, Schools and Families in my home, apologising and trying to sort out the resolution. I think they began to see me as a bit of a loose cannon that needed containing. So I then asked him what about the other families in the borough, were they getting the services......?? I had an 'assurance' that the council was 'reviewing its procedures'. I bloody well hope so.

Had a call from the complaints department of our local council. They are taking it very seriously and she says there are emails flying back and forward between departments and all those concerned have been asked to do briefing notes. Call from social worker as well to come out and 'discuss options'. Have arranged for dh to be there when he comes as 'discussing options' is not the same as solving lack of respite care. Grrr. Why do they make it so difficult. Goodness knows what happens when you haven't got the energy or the words to complain.

Good luck.

Thank you. I used to be such a placid soul

Hi Nikos,success/failure of dp very patchy.
We found our carers originally through an agency and then they went private for us because it is more money for them.
Once you get into a routine,it is OK.We have used dp successfully for years.
My advice would be to persevere.Once it is working it is well worth it because our son gets out of the house and really enjoys the time spent with them.
I have to add it is extremely difficult to find good carers,and be prepared for disappointment along the way.
I don`t think who ever put this idea together could have had the slightest idea how hard it is to find a good,reliable carer.It is nearly impossible.This is where the system breaks down.
I think it needs looking at again,if they paid Carers £30 per hour it might be easier to get a Carer to look after your child.
Also the tremendous stress you have trying to look after your child without the added stress of worrying about employing carers.Keep persevering Nikos,and look after yourself.

The great problem is that it is a minimum wage job that is very demanding. The carer we had was brilliant and only 21 but had autism in her family and a wonderful mature and gentle nature. She formed a great relationship with our ds and set a high standard. But she has since gone on to get a well paid full time job, which I can totally understand. Intermittent caring is not a career.
I suppose with dp you ultimately have control and can find someone you think will hang around for a while.
I think a great idea would be to have a 24 hour activity/care centre for all special needs but everyone has an allocated worker. The worker can then take the child to the care centre and have one to one with them ther. There is a continuity then if the carer changed.