Social workers duties

[Lonnie]

I need to find out excatly what the duties are of a Social Worker for adult mentally handicapped people, been trying but can't get the info I need.

Would anyone on here know, or have a link please?.

Thanks.

[amonty1144]

Can you be more specific in what you mean by duties and in respect to what.

[amonty1144]

This is a link to the general recognised duties of any social worker.

http://www.basw.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=64

[Katie~77]

There's a job description on this link that sums it up. Hope it helps.

http://www.gumtree.com/london/03/13259303.html

[Lonnie]

Hi amonty and Katie,
Thanks for answering, and between your links, I believe you've answered my question.

Briefly.
my daughters social worker has commandeered her Mobility car for her day centre, this I believe is wrong, and no thought has been given as to how this affects her home life, and ours (her parents), belive me, there is much more, but i'd be here most of the night.

This is a post I put up earlier in the year, which gives a brief description of her.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Q uestion349010.html

[cruella]

Aw Lonnie,
Your Daughter looks a lovely girl.
You obviously have problems with her Social Worker, too numerous to mention.
What exactly is happening to the car at the Day Centre,
I suggest of you are not happy with the Social Worker's decision, then take it to his or her Line Manager. Go to the head of the Social Work Department with your feelings and they will all be jumping around like ants!
Don't be bulldozed by them. Stand you ground for your daughter's sake. You are HER VOICE!
Good luck.

[amonty1144]

The mobility car is for the use of your daughter not the day care centre. I cannot comment on the correctness of the situation without the full facts but it appears wrong. However,Put your complaint/ concerns in writing or phone the council and ask for a Social Work complaint form. It will first go to the social workers manager, ops manager, complaints manager and up until it is resolved.
If you feel that this is to close to you or you need an independent eye, see if you have a People's Advocacy Service in your area, they can assist you at meetings etc

[Lonnie]

Hi cruella, thanks for your reply, and of course, amonty again,
Okay, i'll tell you what happened, but bear with me, its a bit of a story, might take a couple of posts.

Mobility car.
Just in case you don't know, you are allowed 15.000 miles per year, that breaks down to approximately 40 miles per day, so in order to save the mileage, we use the car as little as possible.
Also, if you go over that, you have to pay 5p per mile.

Our daughter likes to go for a drive after her evening meal, and listen to her music, we do approximately 20 miles every evening, occasionally, if she doesn't settle at noght, I take her for another drive, could be two three in the morning.

We have provisionall booked a holiday with 'Holiday homes for the Handicapped', for next year.

What happened, was that her centre was using an old bus to take her out in, the seating was a wheelchair which she didn't like, so they strapped her in, but because she kept struggling, they used a harness akin to a straight jacket, where she couldn't move.

cont

[Lonnie]

Admittedly, they didn't like it, she didn't like it, and we didn't like it.
At the time, around about this time last year, we'd managed to accumulate a bit of mileage, so we offered the car to the centre, (its a private centre), three days a week, to run alside the bus,

A month later, they decommissioned the bus, the upshot, was no car, they won't have our daughter.

We went to the Social Services, and the Social worker has upheld what the centre has done, which means that her rides have been curtailed, and it looks like the planned holiday will have to be cancelled.

We actually have a meeting this Friday, but it looks increasingly likely that we will have to start a complaints procedure.

I'm also going to record my daughter for their benefit,
have you ever heard anyone cry who can't produce tears, its a heart rending noise, but thats whats happening now, because we can't take her out.

[Lonnie]

I know initially, its the fault of the centres manager, but I think the Social Worker has failed her by upholding this, when he should have been looking for a solution .Which is why I posted my original question.

There are some other bits and pieces, but thats the main one.

[Lonnie]

Forgot to mention, the offer of the car was only for a couple of months, its been almost a year now, all the accumulated mileage has been used up, (thatsb the centres use, and ours) with no chance of saving more.

[cruella]

Hi Lonnie
That is an awful situation to be in. I am so sorry.
Glad you are having that meeting on Friday.
I assume the Social Worker is aware of the reasons given for not having your Daughter at the centre without the car, and has she explained them to you.
What exactly do they need the car for anyway.
Is it a case of trying to settle your Daughter while she is there?
I assume also there are others at the centre who have the same disabilities as you Daughter. What do they do to settle the other clients?
I think the mileage they are clocking up is a bit too much.
Don't they have therapy for her while she is there?
I know that it all comes down to finances but why can't they fundraise to buy a new bus?
Using your car is not the answer in my opinion. They are trained to take care and look after people who have disabilities without dependingon your car three times a week. What do they do with their clients when your Daughter is not there.
This seems to be a difficult case Lonnie. Social Worker is probably going on the information given to him by the centre.
I think I would be withdrawing the service of the car, if only for insurance purposes.
Good luck anyway.
Keep us posted.

[Lonnie]

Hi cruella,
You sound like a really caring sort of person.

The Social Worker is male, in his twenties, and single,
Anyway, my daughter will be twenty three next mont, and she's been with the centre since she wa eighteen, problem is, as she's got older, she's become more persistant in her demands, its understandable, she has a mind of he own, and she's not silly. eg, if your taking her for a walk, (she has a phenominal memory for routes), and you want to take her one way, she knows perhaps, something something she want is another way, unless you give in to her, she won't budge, so the carers obviously have some difficulty there.

She veers away fro classic Autism, (although she has most of the symptoms), she is not violent in any shape or form.

Not forgetting, mentally, she's still a toddler, in the centre, she runs about, most of the other clients are physically a lot worse than her, and they are worried that she might run into one of them, and injure them, so they have decided, that she is now 'Care in the Community), meaning that the carers have to take her out all day, every day, which is where the need for transport comes in.

cont

[Lonnie]

The manager of the centre told me that they could get another bus, but they are not going to, as they are doing away with the running costs,

I thought, that when they used the car, the money that was spent on the bus, would go onto the car,
About a month after they got the car, I realised I was paying the petrol for them, and still am, previously, I was putting in fifty pounds a month, since then, i've been putting in approx forty pounds a week, which I can scarcley afford,, but thats secondary to the mileage,

And all this Social worker will say, 'its our daughters car'.
So you can see what we'er up against.

Obviously there are routes to go down, depending on this ,meeting, but my feeling is, that the centre want us to take our daughter out, without them saying it, or, sating that thay can't have the car, so they can say, 'we can no longer have her'

In the short term, (excuse the language), I think we'er stuffed.

[Lonnie]

Another thing I forgot about, The Social Worker wants to look at our outgoings, to see if we can pay more.

[cruella]

HI Lonnie,
I would be writing down all the facts and points you want to make and have them ready when you attend this meeting.
I, like yourself, feel you are between a rock and a hardplace at the moment
Supposing your Daughter did not have a car. What would the centre do then?
You should not have to meet the cost of petrol or the car either. It looks like bad management on their part Lonnie.
I would have though it was their duty to find an activity for your Daughter that did not entail running around in a car all day. Get her interested in somethning she will enjoy.
Don't they have an outside area where you Daughter can run around or can't they take her to the park, get her involved in wild animals or something of that nature. Or, even a music room.
I work in the Care Sector and it is the duty of Carers to engage in clients needs and up to them to find an avenue that will resolve this problem.
Are there any other Care Centres that would accept your Daughter.
Be ready for them on Friday. They will have everything documented and I advise you to do the same. Do not pull any punches with them either! Ask questions and ask them to be truthful in their answers.
If this is unresolved, then I would certainly contact the Director of Social Work.
Care in the Community is just that! Also explain your financial situation as that has to be an issue.
Failing all else, I seriously would approach my MP.
Good luck on Friday Lonnie. xPlease update us!

[Lonnie]

Thats really good advice cruella, of course i'll update you on what happens, just keep this thread in your profiles.

Now, i've been really remiss, I saw you reply on dots thead, and i've been meaning to ask, hows your husband, did he come through ok?.

[cruella]

You have enough to think about Lonnie.
Yes, Hubby is fine. Had his op and first lot of chemo on Monday. Five more sessions of chemo to go. Sounds like the snooker championships. lol.
Take care, Remember you are the only one who can speak for your Daughter.
Hear from you Friday x

[amonty1144]

Hi ya Lonnie, Glad you've got the meeting, I've done a bit of research on the internet and there are interesting things about the use of the motability car, these next 3 points were raised on another forum about using a motability car to go to work but I think they also cover the centre using the car. There is a phone number to ring for further help but I would query the legality of the centre using the car, especially if it is used for other people.
Here are the points:

1) Cars supplied by Motability on contract hire can only be used for the benefit of the disabled person. This includes collecting shopping, prescriptions and the like. It does not include a carer/spouse/partner using the vehicle to travel to and from work.

2) There is also the question of the vehicle insurance provided by Royal Sun Alliance Mobility. The insurance does not cover a carer/spouse/partner for business use which includes using the vehicle to travel to/from their place of work.

3) The final issue is that contract hire vehicles supplied by Motability are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (aka as Road Tax) It is is acceptable for a carer/spouse/partner to use the vehicle occasionally, but NOT to regularly drive the vehicle to/from their place of work. To do so, would lay you open to prosecution.

Hope this clarifies the issues raised above.

Any queries should be directed to Motability Operations on 0845 456 4566

Let us know how you get on and if it raises anymore points, get back on here.
Good luck

[cruella]

Lonnie,
Just a quickie to tell you that I will be thinking of you and your family tomorrow.
Stand your ground as I said before. This is your Daughter's future they are going to be discussing and I would be getting answers now and nipping this nonsense in the bud.
have all your questions listed. Do not suffer fools gladly. Like I said, you are the only voice she has, so let it be heard! Good Luck!
Good

[Lonnie]

Cruella,
Your advice is good, and been heeded, I will post back tomorrow, just can't say what time.

amonty,
Thanks for all the work you put in on this, but I must tell you, as far as using the car for work, its just on the odd occasion to get to work, not for work itself, I phoned Mororbility about it quite some time ago, and they said I could, because I was using it in order to put food on her plate, a roof over her head etc, I asked for it in writing, and they obliged.

Insurance,
Again, (remembering that we thought we were doing the centr a favour), I got in touch with Royal London, and they said out daughter had to be in twentyfour hour care, which techically, she is, from us to the centre, and from the entre to us, and they accepted that.
The only priviso was that whoever drove the car, had to let Royal London have their details first.

Having done all that for them, we weren't expecting them to replace the bus with the car, not forgetting, that they were supposed to have it three days a week, and the other two they were supposed to use the bus.

In the short term, we are screwed, of course, all depending on this meeting, but we have no faith in the Social worker, also we got Mencap involved, they were supposed to come to this meeting also, but cancelled.