Advice re Social Worker interview please

[StickyFloor]

DD is 17 and has CP, can communicate perfectly well etc.

I’m trying to start the adult transition process plus get additional hours Direct Payments now as we get virtually no help.

LA being really difficult and unhelpful but finally said they will do an assessment of her needs. Face to face visit next week.

SW is insistent that she speaks to me and then speaks to DD alone. I’ve told her I’m not happy with that and want to be present and she won’t back down. I’ve asked if there is a particular reason why she doesn’t want me there and she just says it would be ”helpful” to speak to her alone.

We’ve never had any dealings with a SW before, DD always has me there for anything like this and wants me there but I’m being made to feel like I’m unreasonable.

Should I stand my ground? Please can anyone advise?

If possible your DD should request you there as her advocate. I don’t think anyone is being unreasonable and can understand why the social worker would want to talk to your DD without you. Even when someone cannot communicate or needs constant supervisor the SW will try if possible to see the person in a separate setting such as school/day services without parents.

I never let SWs speak to DD on her own - on the advice of my education solicitor. I always said, I needed to be there to check her comprehension - which was true. I knew from talking to speech and language therapists that SW did not understand speech and language disorders; and how to talk to young people with them.

Alternatively, when DD was around 18 and over, I insisted that SS appoint an independent advocate to speak to DD and get her views.

Remind SS that this is an assessment of needs in a child or young person (CYP) with disabilities; not a child protection case. "Working Together", the government guidance on assessing CYP with disabilities is unhelpfully mixed in with child protection assessments.

Professor Luke Clemence has just produced a report on the problems of SW getting mixed up with child protection cases and children with disabilities in that they institutionalise parent carer blame; by locating the child's problems in the family. "Working Together" does not insist that SW have any expertise or experience of the disability. He also goes on to talk about how they insist for instance on talking to the child or young person on their own, and inspecting their bedroom, when in fact there is no good reason for it. He says these policies are in breach of the family's fundamental right to a private family life and home, and its disability discrimination, because the family is being treated by virtue of the disability, in the same way as families whose circumstances are materially different:

cerebra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Final-Parent-Blame-Report-20-July-21-02.pdf

Should be Luke Clements

That's really interesting @Intercity225 - we're in the same position as the op having never dealt with a sw before and when we were visited were told a bedroom inspection was mandatory and also that my 17 year olds smaller sibling now has to be assessed as they have to assess all children in the family

That's really interesting @Intercity225 - we're in the same position as the op having never dealt with a sw before and when we were visited were told a bedroom inspection was mandatory and also that my 17 year olds smaller sibling now has to be assessed as they have to assess all children in the family

Bedroom inspection is not mandatory - which implies its enshrined in a law somewhere; and afaik its not. (Luke Clements says its not; and he is probably the leading figure in this field of law in England). No SW ever asked to see our DD1's bedroom, and she was assessed both as a teenager under 18, and as an adult.

Its true that SS should take a whole family approach, and assess the impact of DC's disability on the siblings (who may be carers by default, when you leave the room) and you, who are very likely to be a carer (you can request a carer's assessment as part of this). If they speak to you, about your caring role, you can insist they do it, not in the presence of DC; and they should send you their questions in advance, so you can think about how you want to answer. However, as per Luke Clements, they can't insist on speaking to siblings on their own - if I were you, I'd insist on being present.

DD2 complained, that no SW ever asked her how she was. When an independent SW did an assessment, one of her criticisms was that SS were totally focussed on DD1's disability and never paid any attention to DD2, who was considerably impacted by it, and was a carer by default.

It is generally assumed by SS that parents will care for their children; but once the children become adults, then no adult in England is obliged to provide any care for another adult. It becomes the responsibility of SS. Obviously, they will try to persuade you to do as much as possible, as its saves them money. You can just answer every question with:

"I am not prepared to do any care for DC..."

You don't have to explain why - its the way to get more help.