care of a child

coolcats

Only just got this support worker, taken long enough to get her. There has been plenty of asking to get them involved. At first Dad refused so that didn't help. The community nurse went to a meeting and was told they couldn't take the case on! But agreed the commuinty support worker would assess the situation. That has only been 2 weeks ago.

Dad still says he doesn't need help, he may not but mum sure does. She has very little practical help, just a friend who can listen but not in a postion to help. I can't see there are much opstions left.

Problem is this will be our lives for at least the next 10 years, hopefully less hospital but still will have the regular tests. The answer needs to reflect this, friends will come and go and they can't be the answer. He first went into hospital at 11 months old he's now 4. Friends have run out of help.

delain

Get the mum to Ask for a common assessment framework to be done for them (CAF) this will open doors to all kinds of other help and for her older kids too.

I agree dad should not get the child full time for that disgraceful reason, he should be supporting them not piling more stress on an already bad situation.

Edit: what a load of rubbish about being available for work at all times. You don't just get phone calls saying 'heres a job, start right this minute' what an @rsehole.

meritaten

coolcats - you are not taking on board the advice. MUM and DAD are not the important ones here - the child is! on the childs behalf you should be contacting people high in the hierarchy! SS haven't done their job - they should have been helping mum and they haven't. I bet their report says that child is not at risk and no further action required.
As another poster suggests - if the child is suffering an illness then there may be a support group and to get in touch with them. Most support groups are incredibly clued up on how to get help!

coolcats

Child has been under a CAF for the past year, the last few meetings a social worker was coming to them, never turned up, this woman is supposed to take over the CAF. Dad has walked out of meetings, complains about how much he can claim back for the hospital trips, as in he drives 115 miles (includes petrol stops and detores, break stops off motorway etc) and they pay door to door 99 miles. Doesn't get they work the distance on a map and pay a flat rate for miles a to b.

I do get its about the child and that mum wants what is best for the child and is willing to look at all options. And will do what it takes. I just can't see what other options there are. All mum needs is transport and child care if she is to take the boy to the hospital, or for dad to take him as he has done.

We have looked at support groups and she goes to the local one when she can, the bigger one is an hour and half bus ride away and doesn't fit in with nursery days and times, in sept that will change and give more options. But she has regular meetings for said child and the older ones as all have needs as well.

What she needs is regular support when she needs it, in the home as well as to cover when she needs be at the hospital. A second adult around half the week, more when its holidays and hospital. Child has one to one at nursery and when with his dad, one to three with mum.

As for the available work that is what he says and can't understand life isn't like that. I have only ever had one interview without notice and that was as I just got in on the closing date asked me then and there for interview, and yes I got the job to start a few days later, but that was 25 years ago. She said after if I hadn't applied when I did they were going to readvertise as no one had been suitable till I'd come along.

Totally agree soical service need to help the family and should of been long ago. They can't do it alone.

meritaten

You have said that SS take no interest hun! listen to me - they are NOT doing their job! take it higher! SS is supposed to get her support to keep her family together. to Help her do this. SS is not just there for abused children - they are supposed to HELP struggling families. in this case they aren't.
sounds to me like she has an overworked and 'couldn't care less as long as the kids aren't being neglected' Social Worker. that isn't good enough! she is entitled to more help than that. demand it.

coolcats

I do agree with you SS are not doing there job, and the should be. They havent been from the day one. They were asked to go to the CAF meetings last year. The end of last year meeting they were going to go, the same story we are too busy, the previous 2 meetings this year they were going to go.

She hasn't even got a social worker, as the community support work is happy to point ourt, she is not a soical worker. When the boy was in hospital this time round from the 22nd march she demanded to the nurse she had a social worker.She was not taking the child out of hospital till she had one. A week later they went to the local childrens hospital for the pasy 5 weeks. The older ones were pulled out of scholl and they stayed in hospital accomadation and made the best of it.

While there Dad kicked of he had to have things signed over, mum refused to do anything till they were home and SS had been given the chance to step in. They had a meeting with the community nurse coming for and end result there was a meeting planned the following week that the nurse and woman doing CAF from sure start was going to with social services at, no parents though, and they would get a social worker. End result no social worker but the community support worker in place. They have been told this is the best they are going to get for now at least, till support worker does an assessment and then they may get a SW.

The support worker from surestart has asked and asked, the community nurse has asked and asked. SS just arent interested. The school nurse is supposed to have asked.

coolcats

she's going to approch the sure start support worker again for suggestions, as well as the community care worker, and is happy to approach anyone she can for help.

meritaten

This isn't right - you need to go higher and your first stop should be your MP. explain the situation to him/her. this IS part of their job.