Hi my daughter will be 18 in June. We have only recently got social care involved, but I’m so concerned about transition into adulthood and into adult services. They( social services) have not explained whether and under what criteria she will have a social worker. I believe having one would be helpful and important??
Thanks
hello
Moving from children's to adult support can be a confusing time. I am hoping some other families will post on here to say how it worked for them.
There is a some information on Mencap's website that you might find useful - mencap.org.uk/advice-and-su...
At the bottom there are some links to organisations that offer more information including Preparing for Adulthood and Transition Information Network.
Please let us know how you get on.
Best wishes
Sarah
Hi Have you asked social services for an assessment of your daughter’s needs? That’s what I have had to do as my son is 19 and is leaving college in July. I haven’t heard back from them yet though.
We had a transition social worker when we were moving out of children's Services but once we got a - I can’t remember the name - anyway an agreed amount of services for my son - the social worker took us off his caseload.
We will need different services when my son finishes college so I have asked the adult learning disability team for a reassessment. I need to chase them up soon. Hope thst helps.
Yes we do have needs assessment planned but no one can tell me when this will be. What does it involve. Feel like you have to get right??
It was a form the social worker filled in. I can’t remember the different sections but it was long. I think the important thing is not to underplay the issues - be open about your difficulties. The social worker we had was perceptive. She was very supportive and wanted to put everything down. I saw a draft before it went to panel - and I could have contacted her again if I had thought of other issues.
When my son turned 18, a social worker contacted me to explain she would be taking over. My son had used respite services Since he was 16 so we had a social worker from then. He’s 22 now, at college. We don’t have a social worker now as his funding was moved to Continuing health care when he was 19 so now e have a care manager.
Hi there you should have already been introduced to adult team. But because you only just started with the social services that might take longer to process. Adult services are more complex, does not work at same level as the children.
For starters the children services they have more money allocated.
Adult very much depends on the level abs capacity of your child.
My son was very complex from very early years and it still took until he was 16 to get anywhere. And then at 18 things really became very difficult indeed.
So I suggest you get an assessment of needs done.
Also write down what you think your child needs and what help you yourself would like to have.
What support you feel is best suited to your family.
I have to say if you feel your child needs lots of support you need to make that clear abs don’t accept the rubbish they will throw at you, because once you accept what they say then it will be very hard to change things. Make your wishes heard.
Sending love.
Meant and. Not abs. Sorry. Fat fingers. Lol 😝
Ok that helpful, I’m not sure what help I need. I mean I’m going crazy at the moment so I need a darkened room and no one to need anything! But does it mean... breaks, practical psychological ... I don’t know what to say when asked ‘ what do you need’ also is the needs a bit like pip? What my daughter can’t do by herself?? Money, cooking, travel? She comes across as more capable but as in previous post....quite likely to do dangerous things when left alone... thanks
Ok that’s a start. See write a report on what your child needs help with. So say fir instance you think your 24 hours a day with your daughter and you have no one else to help you? That the case then you need a support worker with your child all day or 5 hours or 8 hours or how many hours you a d her needs. So I would then go down the road of applying for a personal budget. That way you can make the decisions and get the paid support worker that can work with your daughter.
Make sure you explained ALL NEEDS as the other lady said it’s hard to change it later.Do you need to work? Do you need respite? Does your child need day services? It’s very important to have your assessment too as a carer. More importantly, if you feel that what the social worker has written down in the assessment is not right or needs amending. Then you must amend it until it is right.
Then that piece of paper is your passport to EVERYTHING. Don’t be put off by them. Those that shout the loudest gets, as unfortunately adults do not get as much funding as children’s services. Good luck.
PS google Mencap, Mind , Down syndrome sites. (Even if not Downs) they all give advice.
Further to other replies -yes like PIP go with your child at her “worst”, it’s awful to have to concentrate on what they can’t do but very important you make sure they know situation she will need help with (even if it’s not all the time). Don’t let them gloss over any problems. Once they have assessed her and found a placement they will probably then close her case so make sure everything is as it should be for her. Prepare for a fight and do your homework (check out local provision etc), but stay with it and I hope you’re lucky and get a sympathetic transition worker. Good luck.
Hi, I have recently filled out the application for an assessment for my son who is 27. We had plenty of help through his education.... statement of educational needs, one to one help in the classroom etc then when he left college at 21 we had very little contact with anyone. Like your daughter, he comes across more capable than he is, and needs more help than people think. He has since worked as a volunteer but we as parents are concerned for his future. We have therefore only recently made contact with adult social services and requested an assessment to hopefully be assigned a support worker and advice on what support is available to us for the future. It seems that we all have an uphill struggle to just even obtain advice! I know these things take time but rest assured that you’re not alone.
Thanks it’s good to know... any idea what kind of support he might get and are you thinking some kind of supported housing?
I really don’t know what level of support he will be eligible for as his difficulties are not severe, however if he were to live independently from us, he would definitely need help. I’m also hoping we may get help with him finding a job where he feels supported... he has worked as a volunteer for a few years in various settings but not really been happy.
Good Afternoon,
I have seen some really good advice on here, but here is some more information you may find useful.
The purpose of the needs assessment is to identify the areas she needs support with to carry out her everyday activities. It looks at the extent of her care and support needs before eligibility is determined (whether the Council will meet needs or not). Additionally, the assessment seeks to establish how those needs impact on wellbeing (in day-to-day life) and the range of outcomes she wishes to achieve to improve her quality of life.
You can find an information pack about needs assessments here:
mencap.org.uk/sites/default....
If you copy and paste the link above it will take you to the information pack regarding a needs assessment.
if you have any further enquiries then please do contact the The Learning Disability Helpline on freephone:-
0808 808 111 or you can also fill out one of our webforms on the link below:-
mencap.org.uk/contact/conta...
I hope this provides you with some further Information.
Kind Regards
Lyndsey M
The Contact & Assessment Team Advisor
The Learning Disability Helpline
mencap.org.uk/advice-and-su.... Here’s a link for you
Ps this is from a website DS
For Families and Carers : Reductions to a person’s support package
Councils must meet the eligible social care needs of disabled people as well as those of carers and the duty to meet eligible needs is one that exists regardless of any resource problems a local authority (LA) may have.
Although LA’s should review care packages at least once a year, the Statutory Care Act Guidance stresses that the ‘review must not be used as a mechanism to arbitrarily reduce the level of a person’s personal budget’.
If, as a result of a reassessment, the support package is reduced or changed in a significant way, then the law requires that the council must provide a detailed and convincing explanation about why this is happening i.e. because the person’s condition has improved significantly, and they no longer need funding to meet this need.
The LA reasoning to accompany this decision should give adequate weight and consideration to all relevant professional opinions. It should not excessively rely upon the non-expert view of a social worker (or equivalent ‘case manager’) in the face of evidence to the contrary from other more appropriately qualified and experienced experts (such as GP’s, Physio’s and Occupational Therapists).
The fact that a local authority has financial problems or is using its own locally designed Resource Allocation System to calculate a person’s weekly personal budget isn’t a lawful reason.
Eligible needs must be met, and the persons support cannot be cut unless there is strong evidence as to why it is no longer required. Local authorities also cannot adopt one size fits all policies or ceilings on the cost of a persons care or its availability. That is, saying that they only provide a maximum of four weeks respite care a year for everyone.
As local authorities must meet the eligible needs of disabled adults (and their carers) it is unlawful for authorities to impose limits on what they are prepared to pay for care packages as everyone’s needs are unique and personal to them.
This in essence means that eligible needs must be met regardless of cost – as the Statutory Guidance to the English Care Act explains, a local authority’s finances are relevant when it decides how to meet the eligible needs of an individual ‘but not whether those needs are met’ (para 10.27). It goes on to say that LA’s‘should not set arbitrary upper limits on the costs [they are] willing to pay to meet needs through certain routes’.
Occasionally LA’s may suggest that, although a person’s eligible needs have not changed, current funding can be reduced as the need can be met by a less expensive method. This may be that a different care agency is available that can provide the necessary care at a lower hourly cost. Where this is raised the local authority must be able to prove the following:
That the cheaper arrangements must actually exist already and are therefore not just a hypothetical alternative.
These alternative support arrangements must absolutely meet all of the person’s eligible needs.
Often a key component of a person’s care and support plan is to maintain continuity and to ensure that staff have specific training and or skills to ensure this.
That the change of continuity wont adversely affect the persons physical or mental wellbeing.
Where continuity is crucial to a person’s support – for example because they may become distressed by changed routines or have had previous bad experiences of change – then this is likely a significant factor against any proposed change
That there won’t be a significant impact on the persons wellbeing.
The Care Act 2014 i requires LA’s to promote the wellbeing of adults in need and carers and to do this in a way that satisfies certain principles. Such as the assumption that the individual is best placed to judge their well-being and the duty to promote their control over their day-to-day life, including over the care and support they receive and that ‘independent living’ (within the meaning of Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities) ‘is a guiding principle of the Care Act’. Article 19 stresses the right to choose where they live and with whom they live’ (and that they are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement) as well as their right to a range of social care services ‘necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, and to prevent isolation or segregation from the community’.
Authorities must also not assume a carer is willing or able to provide any care, including additional care arising from a reduction in the care package.
It would be considered a maladministration for a reduction to occur without properly assessing the carer and explicitly clarifying and recording whether they are ‘able and willing’ to provide additional care.
Threatened by court of protection by social worker.
Adult Services
Deputyship along with Social Services
How to get social services funding for learning disabled son?
