Social Work Complaint

sogs

Hi

I would like to ask for everyone's opinion I have written a letter of complaint to the director of social work for my area as I am not happy that social work are giving me no support. I have had three social workers in the last year and they come out to see me and I give them all the information they require and I don't hear anything back and have to follow things up myself, it is actually my son who is disabled that needs the support and I feel he is being failed and this puts a lot of stress on me. I have already complained to the service manager nearly a year ago and still waiting on investigation.

What I really wanted to ask is a social worker is due to visit this week as she cancelled her last appointment half an hour before she was due, should I keep this appointment or should I cancel until my letter of complaint as been dealt with.

your views would be grateful.

regards

devizes18193

We had a issue with the local councill , The complaint was basically ignored and we had to raise it to an appeal with http://www.lgo.org.uk/adult-social-care/ which is on going now because we have most of our stuff documented the appeal worker has stuff to work with .
The thing is if you stop the complaint before you get the result you need all your doing is resetting the councils clock and if your council is like mine they will get out of doing what they can especially if you boys needs are not sorted by a common item ie a wheelchair ramp

Morglin

I found writing to the director worked in respect of my mum, regarding the lack of useful support being given by the adult team, at the time, worked, and they were fine after that.

You could also try your MP, but wait until you hear from the Director.

Lin

devizes18193

or your local Councillor.

cattermole

I would carry on with the appointment as you need to give them the chance to do a proper assessment of your son's needs.

I would make notes and make it clear you want a full assessment done.

Can I ask whether you son is an adult or a child? It does make a difference because the rules for assessing children are not quite the same and are more to do with Children in Need than a Social Care Assessment for an adult.

sogs

Thank you so much for all your replies I appreciate you taking the time, maybe I didn't make myself clear, I have only just sent my letter of complaint, the worker that is coming to see me this week from Social Work doesn't know that I have made a complaint, to be honest she won't be doing an assessment she will come in have a coffee and ask how my son is getting on I will tell her and she will go away and I will hear nothing, I was thinking of cancelling the appointment and waiting for my complaint to be looked at or will this look like I am being uncooperative. My son is 15 and has ASD I really would like him to get the support as this would then help me.

thanks again

cattermole

If it was me I would still carry on and see the Social Worker and tell them that you have made a complaint because you feel you and your son are not getting the Support he needs.

What support are you hoping to get to meet his needs? I know in our area most parents have great difficulty getting any help for ASD and it is very limited the support they can get. There are some play schemes for the holidays that sort of thing, maybe a few nights respite if it is a very severe case.

It will depend on what services are available or what you are looking for because knowing that might help. For example would a worker taking him out or doing something with him be something that might be helpful?

elsien

sogs wrote: »

she won't be doing an assessment she will come in have a coffee and ask how my son is getting on I will tell her and she will go away and I will hear nothing,

Then surely the appointment would be the time to say that you have made a complaint due to lack of services offered (or whatever the issue is) and now she's here this is the list of the support you believe you and your son need, what does she need to do to make it happen, what alternatives might there be and what timescale will it take for the assessments (for the both of you) to be actioned.
Put her on the spot and if she can't/won't answer, ask for her managers details to take it further. That should get some movement started.
Do you have a copy of the formal complaints procedure? If not request it as that way they will not only start to take you seriously, you will understand the timescales they have to stick to and the processes for escalation or appeal.
I had a service reinstated a few years back, not because of any change to circumstances, but because they hadn't followed their own procedures in discontinuing it. Worth a try.