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Extremely complex Autistic 21 year old - not happy with care company

5 replies

Elvera2 · 29/08/2023 19:21

My daughter is extremely complex. She has spent the last 2 years refusing to leave her bedroom, not communicating and sometimes refusing food / fluids so the paramedics had to be called. She can also be aggressive if she's anxious.

She is out of county, being looked after by a company that is charging our LA £500,000 a year to look after her. So not a cheap placement. Her social worker and I haven't been that happy with the care so far. Not so much the carers but the management.

My dd's social worker told me that of all the cases she has to deal with, she worries about my dd the most. And the care company hasn't managed to get her to leave the house yet. She seems to be hiding in her bedroom for most of the time.

Anyway, the thing I'm really pissed off about is that after spending the last few months telling my dd that she will be living alone, the company has suddenly moved another young person into the house with no prior discussion. They didn't tell me, her dad or the social worker and the social worker is on annual leave and is unable to deal with this. We only found out when her dad went to visit the other day.

It is the fact that my daughters regression at her last placement started because they kept moving people into the house who were noisy.

Usually, the SW has to do a best interests assessment before any changes to dd's living arrangements are made because she doesn't have capacity.

I feel like I can't trust the care company. I have no idea what their plans are and their communication is shit.

What would you do in my situation?

OP posts:
OvertakenByLego · 29/08/2023 19:43

Complain to the care company. Contact social care - there will be someone available to assist even if it is the duty team. Do you have deputyship? Does DD have an EHCP - if so, is the need for a solo placement stated in there?

Elvera2 · 29/08/2023 19:51

She does have a EHCP but at the moment it hasn't been amended. At the council there is nobody familiar with her case atm. But I just had a brainwave and emailed the care commissioner because he's copied into emails that I get from SW.

Thanks for your reply!

OP posts:
OvertakenByLego · 29/08/2023 20:34

I presume DD has CHC funding? If so, also email the care coordinator if that is someone different to the social worker. If the need for a solo placement is in the EHCP (even if it hasn’t yet been amended to make it up to date) email the LA reminding them. Then if that fails speak to SOSSEN about whether judicial review is possible, if it is they can help with a pre-action letter.

Elvera2 · 29/08/2023 20:48

The thing is though that the LA won't have okayed this. The care company is a money-grabbing out of county organisation and they did this without informing the LA.

Do you mean that the buck stops with the LA regardless?

OP posts:
OvertakenByLego · 29/08/2023 22:31

Ultimately the LA is responsible, so they should be sorting this out. And, if it is in the EHCP, pointing that out may spur the LA on and if it doesn’t you need advice about whether the wording is enforceable.

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