Completely fed up. Learning disabled son is 25. He has been on a waiting list for supported housing for years but there is nothing pending. He has spent the last 7 years enrolled on part time supported learning courses at the nearest college (15 miles away) and in day care provided by the LA. I work 2 part time jobs for relatively low pay but which means that he is not left alone at home (it would be unsafe to leave him unsupervised). Husband is a service engineer and cannot be relied on to be at home at any given time during the week. My job options are therefore limited.
The council are scrapping most of their inhouse day services and son is in limbo awaiting an alternative provider to be identified. Ultimately this means he will have a whole bunch of new people - staff and other service users - to get used to and is likely to lose contact with most of the people he currently considers as friends. College - where he has been happy and settled (2 days a week during term time) - have announced a change to their criteria for qualifying for discretionary rates for the cost of college courses. Previously he was assessed taking into account his IB and DLA and paid a reduced rate. Apparently now despite being 25 they will only consider a reducing the fees if the household income is less than a set amount (very low). He is 25 ffs. He is not a dependent in the strict sense of the word and is entitled to his own benefits. (Though for how long given the current situation regarding the reassessment process is anyone's guess). He does not have £1000+ available for college fees - and neither do I.
Cue another call to the learning disability team to see whether they will cover the cost through a DP - but in order to improve services he does not have an allocated social worker (that's me being sarcastic in case it wasn't obvious) and this necessitates a call to the contact centre and yet another protracted conversation which will inevitably result in the wrong information being recorded and me having to make umpteen follow up calls and speaking to different workers every time I manage to actually to get through to someone (been there a got the t shirt). Why is everything so bloody difficult? My stress is multiplied tenfold by having to deal with different agencies who will not work together and who are generally incompetent. Last time I contacted social services they made a mess of things - as they have done on previous occasions. I have v little faith in them at the best of times but having to be dealt with through a contact centre and the duty system is infinitely worse than having an allocated social worker. Mencap aren't much better. I feel that I am being hung out to dry. I imagine it is the same for most carers but things are definitely getting worse. People outside of the system simply cannot believe the crap carers and their carees are having to put up with. I cannot see an end to it and am at a loss as to know how to improve the situation. Where is the support? Statutory services seem to be bailing out and there is naff all out there as far as I can see. Can anyone offer a shred of hope?
The council are scrapping most of their inhouse day services and son is in limbo awaiting an alternative provider to be identified. Ultimately this means he will have a whole bunch of new people - staff and other service users - to get used to and is likely to lose contact with most of the people he currently considers as friends. College - where he has been happy and settled (2 days a week during term time) - have announced a change to their criteria for qualifying for discretionary rates for the cost of college courses. Previously he was assessed taking into account his IB and DLA and paid a reduced rate. Apparently now despite being 25 they will only consider a reducing the fees if the household income is less than a set amount (very low). He is 25 ffs. He is not a dependent in the strict sense of the word and is entitled to his own benefits. (Though for how long given the current situation regarding the reassessment process is anyone's guess). He does not have £1000+ available for college fees - and neither do I.
Cue another call to the learning disability team to see whether they will cover the cost through a DP - but in order to improve services he does not have an allocated social worker (that's me being sarcastic in case it wasn't obvious) and this necessitates a call to the contact centre and yet another protracted conversation which will inevitably result in the wrong information being recorded and me having to make umpteen follow up calls and speaking to different workers every time I manage to actually to get through to someone (been there a got the t shirt). Why is everything so bloody difficult? My stress is multiplied tenfold by having to deal with different agencies who will not work together and who are generally incompetent. Last time I contacted social services they made a mess of things - as they have done on previous occasions. I have v little faith in them at the best of times but having to be dealt with through a contact centre and the duty system is infinitely worse than having an allocated social worker. Mencap aren't much better. I feel that I am being hung out to dry. I imagine it is the same for most carers but things are definitely getting worse. People outside of the system simply cannot believe the crap carers and their carees are having to put up with. I cannot see an end to it and am at a loss as to know how to improve the situation. Where is the support? Statutory services seem to be bailing out and there is naff all out there as far as I can see. Can anyone offer a shred of hope?
