MOOLOO'S continuing saga Part 4

ana8

Hi,

I have never posted anything on your thread but been reading it for ages. I have worked as both community and residential support worker for clients with learning disabilities and just wanted to post a response from the other side. We were never allowed to come in into someone's house if they didn't want us there, cancelled or not been in. As long as clients have capacity to make decisions for themselves we could not do anything different. You need to remember that most carers will have a lot of people to see on the same day, I used to do between 5-10 visits of varying lenght a day. Therefore, we can't be coming in earlier, later or another day because more than likely we are supporting somebody else at that time. You can not force people to accept help and if I ever dreamt of going into someone's home after they told me not to gthat would actually be illegal. Equally, I would not go in if there was someone there I was not expecting. I get that this man may not do anything, but as someone who used to go into people's homes a lot, if it hasn't been risked assessed I'm not putting myself in danger unnecessarily. You may know he's harmless but a carer who has never laid eyes on him before will have no way of knowing that. Believe you me I very much doubt the carers enjoy the cancellations as even though the service is getting paid for the visit if not eniugh notice has been given, the carer would not normally be paid. I appreciate how aggrevating this all must be from pareent's point of view but more than likely carers are simply following the rules of the organisation in the respect of allowing cancellations and not giving support when a 3rd party is there.

floss2

I'm sure it will be very useful to have your view on the carers situation Ana8, I certainly did not know that carers themselves would likely not be paid if a client cancelled or you could not gain access, and much as some may dismiss them, risk assessments are vital for the safety of both carer and client.

Eager_Elephant

The rent arrears can be sorted out, any changes to JSA does affect Housing/Council Tax Benefit but they should write out and ask what income they had for that period and then Twin 2 could have supplied her bank statements(?) and a letter from you to say you have been supporting them.

Can you ring HB/CTB when Twin 2 is with you and clarify the dates that no HB/CTB has been paid and then supply the info I mentioned above.

If it is a while ago you should be able to claim good cause in that Twin 2 has learning difficulties and has not dealt with her letters and the other day is the first time you saw a letter re rent arrears.

If you need any help give me a shout - I am about all weekend.

Also I wonder if we can get Twin 2 on ESA by stealth!!!
Would her doctor give her a sick note - I'm thinking she sounds depressed. Then she is awarded ESA, then she gets her medical which unfortunately she will (most probably) fail but once the appeal is in she gets the same money until the appeal is heard - in Suffolk it is 15 months (don't believe the Appeals Service when they say 26 weeks!) and in that time Twin 2 won't have to sign on and the money will keep coming providing she supplies sick notes.

I will check the ESA descriptors and see if I think any match Twin 2 and she might get it awarded.

(((Mooloo)))

If you need anything for Xmas let me know and I can send some second hand toys/games

Savvy_sewing

Thanks for the posts, especially Ana8.
I do take on board what you have said. I am frustrated that the care was allocatted but never started. You say its a risk assessment, but who can assess a risk without visiting? They were going on the conflicting answers from the client. In this case twin2.
As they were not turning up at all, (the Carer not the Support Worker), not even started, then it is unlikely the carer has lost any fundings as she wasnt even allocated!.
The Support Worker, I appreciate cannot be wasting time coming to see twin2. My arguement is really what capacity do the twins have? Its rather a grey area really isnt it.

Anyway I can only hope that things will help when we meet on Tuesday.
I will be having both Twins here to stay tonight.
Today would have been our little mans 5th Birthday. So Mum doesnt want to be on her own.
DS and I had a blazing row yesterday when i went over in the morning. The friend was still there!!!!
I went mad. He had sneeked back in late during the night. And obviously all the meetings and talks with DS didnt bother.
I was angry, but level and told him that he had to go. DS got mad with me, and said that "he knew he was lucky, but that he wasnt going to let his friend leave with no where to go.! and I said then you will all be homeless and what good would that do!), He swore at me. Actually told me to F O.
I walked away and said that I would not support him again.
(Obviously that was in anger by then!). But I am so sick to death of catching him out!.
I have to say that the nice kind boy, is now a monster!
I cannot take much more of my family.
Stupid, idiotic, and loyal to idiots themselves!
What hold does this boy have on my son? What hold the sister on my twins?
There is a bright spark of hope on the girl side, it appears she has done a house swap with someone in MK so she should be going before Xmas! Oh I hope so.
I really was upset the last few days.
I had to go and rest yesterday, it is exhausting me.
Today I have no idea what to do.
Twin1 let her carer in yesterday, and the carer is going to bring her here this evening, along with twin2 if I havent already collected her.
I agree that twin2 needs barevement councilling. As I had.
She didnt get on with the first one, we did ask for a different one, but alas it was supposed to be done by the boys socialworker, and she was supposed to have told us, about their adoption, and done t he life story work with her. But she didnt even have the decency to do any of that either.
I am so disappointed at the difficulties that is put in front of us to try and live a decent life.
I do try and remember that there are a lot of people out there that are worse off then us. But by god its a difficult thing to keep in mind at times.!
If they are worse, god really help them is all that I can say.

Savvy_sewing

Thanks EE, we crossed in the post.
I will investigate who her doctor is, as I think her one was the one that got her onto DLA originally.
At least you give me some hope.

I believe that the rent arrears had some build up earlier, when she had originally been sharing with a boyfriend, (some 2 years ago? and when DS moved in with her, and it was not registered properly. But I am not exactly sure of the days and dates. I may have posted about it earlier in the year, if I knew I would have, but at the moment, I get so mixed up between twin1 twin2, DS and Biggest of Mooloo and my own problems to remember which one I successfully dealt with and when!!!
My memory has been tested by all the medication that I was on, have been and still can be on, over the last 5 years!. Addled or punch drunk kind of feeling is the norm for me these days.
If I dont write on here, or in my diary, then it if definetely forgotten.
I have to go and get DGD breakfast.
Thanks again for the support. I will do my best to get onto the doctor, as thats a good start.

Savvy_sewing

Well its Monday morning and the weekend is over. Spent Saturday with Biggest of Mooloo and we nipped to the big Asda in MK, only for our quick nip to be 2 hours plus in the shop. Mind you we did have a christmas dinner. The food tasted good but was cold by the time it was served and we got to the table. Alas the service was rather bad, and the staff were rather gormless! Infact we decided that we hadnt seen so many gormless people together before and wondered if that was the requirements to work in the cafe!
We put up her Christmas Tree which DGD loved. The day was gone very quickly.
Yesterday was a party for DGD in the middle of the day, and so while she was there Biggest and I went to a local american diner for our dinner!. Yum, I was stuffed and didnt eat another thing all day!.
In the evening DGD and I put up our tree. Although the only decorations that are on it are the ones that I had made last year, and the few ones I bought in Paris the other weekend.
We dont even have tinsel on the tree we have a paper chain that she painted the other week.
When she had gone to bed, I filled the little stocking advent decoration with little bits and pieces and strung it along the stairs.
So in the morning she was surprised to see it, and had her little gift. She doesnt miss a trick though, she wanted to know what was in 1 and 2. But I said that there wasnt anything as we had already had those days. She was accepting of it. Luckily.
I still have a lot to sort out, but I will not go up into the loft to get the decorations until a friend of member of the family will come and be in the house for me to go up there. Health and Safety must come first.
(Mind you its also frustrating as I want to dig around my stash to see what I can create. Got the urge to work at the sewing but havent got a clue what I want to make. Something for my Dad but what?). So I am off to have a search on the internet for some ideas while I have my cuppa.
The big day for dealing with the problems will be tomorrow. So today I am turning a bit of a blind eye, and enjoying myself. If I can, as the back is not good and walking to and from school today was really tough. I have obviously cut down on the tablets too far!. So up they go again. One of these days I will get the happy medium sorted out.

Eager_Elephant

Mooloo, hope everything is ok and Tuesday did not see too many more issues for you to sort.

((Mooloo))

Savvy_sewing

Tuesday morning, I hope was a positive morning.
There were representatives from the housing, 1 lady, Delos, 2 ladies, and Liveability 3 ladies!!
Myself and Twin2.
DS had gone out and his hanger on friend was gone. Thank god.
I sort of ended up chairing a meeting really.
The up shot is that Delos are going to help with benefit claims and financial problems and see what they can do.
Liveability are agoing to send in a worker as of next week to work with her three times a week and then down to two when she is established in a routine. They will try to help her with her budget (once the other is sorted thier end of it) and with her day to day living.
The housing was a stuffed shirt, who I was not pleased with, but the other 5 ladies agreed with me that it was better that DS was to stay, (bedroom tax issues in the new year), keeping the other idiots away and twin2 not wanting to be on her own.
They also agreed that she should be on ESA and not on JS and that she will go to the doctors, (Liveability to go with her) to get her counciling and her anxiety tablets sorted out.
I still am fighting the gas board to get a constant on the gas as they say the debt has not been paid on the machine although they have sent a message to it. So we have put in another £50 and still had a dribble of gas.
DS is unwell, and I blame the cold.
He is here today, and up in bed but will probably have to go home today.
Twin1 is here over night as we are off to the school play. Now.
Eek the time I got to go

floss2

That sounds quite hopeful Mooloo, fingers crossed it all falls into place and stays steady for all of you.

Savvy_sewing

Well the school play was long! The children had fun, and DGD was a shepherd. I tried to get pictures but didnt succeed very well. There was a rather larger man infront of me, and every time I clicked the shutter he moved into view.!
Molly's daughter came with us, and also twin1, DGD's Mum. So between us I am hoping we get something good somewhere.
Molly's daughter said it brought back memories as that was the school she went too, so she hadnt been back in some 10 or 11 years!.
TWin1's carer collected her as soon as the play was over, but I kept DS here for another Day. I reluctantly took him back yesterday, after I had bought some nightnurse/day nurse capsules and started him on those. I do worry about how thin he is etc. He was determind to do his little shift in the pub though. So I dropped him off at tea time yesterday.
He was using my laptop to catch up on his computer course work, and a few other games etc no doubt!. He brought his big computer harddrive and wired it up to my TV and did some work there too, and then using a usb thingy he transfered work around.
He also was applying for a job on line when I got home as he just asked me how to word the covering letter he was sending in with the CV.
Wednesday I went in to the sort room to do some work, and expected to just give a couple of my hours, but after two hours there there was nobody to do the last 2 hours in the shop so I went straight to the shop to keep it open.
The days takings were not very good. £26.20.
After I had dashed off to collect DGD I took the money back to the office, and the keys.
On Thursday I went to work in the sort room in the afternoon. A friend called around to see me in the morning, he said that the shop wasnt open, (and it hadnt been first thing the day before either).
They are having issues with staff not turning up, but NOBODY, is following through and trying to get cover! No wonder the takings are dysmal. Anyway I went in to the sort room and spent a few hours there, but brought the keys home with me so I was able to open up yesterday. Infact I did the whole day on my own.
It was a bitty day, with bitter cold winds it was not pleasant, but we had a few in first thing, and then a bit of a slow around 11 till about 1, then another little flurry. I took £58.50. Still not good enough, but better then the shop being closed.
I had a friend drive me after the school run, and then I walked back afterwards, as there is no where to park for longer then 3 hours in Brackley. I couldnt afford a parking ticket thats for sure.
Another Mum who is a child minder, collected DGD for me until I could get back. Infact she was going to a birthday party so DGD got to go as well. I got to drive DS back to Towcester and drop off all his stuff, and get back, just as the party was winding up. Good timing.
DGD and I had the evening together at home on our own, what was left of it.
The lights on the christmas tree had blown the second day I had them up, so I was lucky enough to be able to buy some from the charity, along with some shoes for my son for £10. (We cannot sell the lights as they are electrical but I could buy them with a donation). So that was handy. Except they are rather tacky lights, coloured flashing lights to musical tunes. mmmmmmm I havent put the music volume on so far as I fear that DGD will love them and it will drive me banana's by the end of the season.
Time to get breakfast. We have had childrens TV on and I have had a cuppa but thats all.
Oh Twin2 briefly said that the Gas is now on! yipee it was warm when I dropped off DS, and that the Delos lady had been around. She will sort out the fact that the Housing benefit and the Council Tax has been stopped completely for her. The DWP should be ashamed of themselves with this new system of sanctions etc. Its not good enough. Fair enough suspend a weeks cash if they really have to, but to stop the benefits to keep the roof over peoples head is disgusting in my view.