Social Services help?

danielle1977

I hear what everyone says about some people grabbing all that they can etc-some people do. But sometimes its better to support a family before it gets too bad and the parents get so stressed/depressed etc that the kids end up in care.

And it is the other family member asking for help not the family, usually if someone else is dpoing the asking then things are getting pretty bad.

Nicki

Please don't misunderstand and think that I am saying this family should not get any support.

My point is only that it is fairer to expect the family (or someone on their behalf) to identify the need, then for social services to see how they can meet that need, rather than for them to be presented with a full list of all that's on offer for all families and for them to pick what they like the sound of. For example, in my area I know of one mum of a child with autism who was struggling with routines and social services provided someone to come round every evening to bath the child and put them to bed. That would be fab, but not every family needs that service even though its on offer.

In my own case, the only time I ever got a service was when I was 8 months pregnant with my third child and asked for some extra support with my disabled during the school summer holidays. I had to fight hard, but eventually my disabled child was offered one week on a summer play scheme for a few hours a day. There were various other options available such as a befriender, a respite carer, direct payments, etc but presented with the stated need social services decided which of those options to offer. It wasn't a case of my being able to choose which i'd prefer.

If there are two social workers involved with this family, it is unlikely they are going to get overlooked for support and end up with their children in care. As I posted earlier a lot of us with very severely disabled children, whilst we might be on the children with disabilities social work list, don't see a social worker from one year to the next and never have anyone initiate a conversation with us as to what our needs are!