All I want is to be able to walk tall and proud of my boys and for society in general and Social Services in particular to show respect towards them and for me for raising them to be such amazing people. Is that too much to ask?
I am strong but immensely fragile. It doesnt take much to knock me down. On Wednesday Ali's Social Worker turned around and actually accused me of inventing his need for Speech and Language Therapy. I know this is ridiculous and he has a Psychological assessment to support the need as an urgent priority for him...it is the fact that after a year of being involved with SS in Southend they can do that. What makes it worse is that I know that SS lack of support, and aggression when pressed for help, killed my husband.
Our boys hate them, because of their Dad, but also last year, when I had an emergency hospital admission brought about by extreme challenging behaviour of my youngest, which they knew about and chose to ignore and leave me to deal with, they turned around to my eldest and told him he could cope with him 24/7 while I was in hospital on his own! Then after 3 days when I had managed to crawl out of my hospital bed and ring them for the third time they sent the SW to our home...she walked in and asked Ali if he was OK..he said "Yep." and then as Angus and Jim, an elderly friend who stayed overnight with them, went to sit down and talk to her she announced she wasn't stopping and walked out! When I spoke with her manager...an Australian they have brought in as some superking of SS and who they pay something like £140,000 a year told me that was what he had instructed her to do...that their role was to support Alistair and if he was happy then they were doing their job! I am not being funny but even Ali knew that was a pisstake [one of their father's expressions!]
We cannot see a way forward with Social Services..they screw your mind and stamp on you when you are down.
The latest mind screw is that Alistair actually has a decent support package approved by panel but no services other than 5 mornings at a local media club which I take him to.No respite and nothing like the 28 hours support approved..why?...because the rest of the day centres are dire...slightly cleaned up versions of daytime asylums IMHO...and the Adult Placement[Shared Lives] service doesnt have support workers available to do anything other than daytime care whereby Ali can sit and watch them do their ironing and pay them £9.50 an hour for the privelege!
Sadly my brain wont allow itself to adjust its thoughts and expectations to this level. What can I do???
I am strong but immensely fragile. It doesnt take much to knock me down. On Wednesday Ali's Social Worker turned around and actually accused me of inventing his need for Speech and Language Therapy. I know this is ridiculous and he has a Psychological assessment to support the need as an urgent priority for him...it is the fact that after a year of being involved with SS in Southend they can do that. What makes it worse is that I know that SS lack of support, and aggression when pressed for help, killed my husband.
Our boys hate them, because of their Dad, but also last year, when I had an emergency hospital admission brought about by extreme challenging behaviour of my youngest, which they knew about and chose to ignore and leave me to deal with, they turned around to my eldest and told him he could cope with him 24/7 while I was in hospital on his own! Then after 3 days when I had managed to crawl out of my hospital bed and ring them for the third time they sent the SW to our home...she walked in and asked Ali if he was OK..he said "Yep." and then as Angus and Jim, an elderly friend who stayed overnight with them, went to sit down and talk to her she announced she wasn't stopping and walked out! When I spoke with her manager...an Australian they have brought in as some superking of SS and who they pay something like £140,000 a year told me that was what he had instructed her to do...that their role was to support Alistair and if he was happy then they were doing their job! I am not being funny but even Ali knew that was a pisstake [one of their father's expressions!]
We cannot see a way forward with Social Services..they screw your mind and stamp on you when you are down.
The latest mind screw is that Alistair actually has a decent support package approved by panel but no services other than 5 mornings at a local media club which I take him to.No respite and nothing like the 28 hours support approved..why?...because the rest of the day centres are dire...slightly cleaned up versions of daytime asylums IMHO...and the Adult Placement[Shared Lives] service doesnt have support workers available to do anything other than daytime care whereby Ali can sit and watch them do their ironing and pay them £9.50 an hour for the privelege!
Sadly my brain wont allow itself to adjust its thoughts and expectations to this level. What can I do???
Is there an emoticon for "knackered"? LOL
