Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello all, this is annoying me...I mean the fact that a lot of people with autism are struggling in one way or another with social services and support. Does anyone know if there is a way to establish which parts of the country have poor services and which have good services. A tab under username with location might be an option to make it easier to identify which users are in your area are also having bad times with their social services department and which services they have found useful.
There doesn't seem to be anyone making sure councils are doing what they are supposed to under autism and care act. It seems that often these laws are nothing more than words on paper and they are not enforced by anyone. Complaints about assessments and budgets are constantly being made by service users but the people complaining get no where and have little way to get the help they really need. Apart from the difficult task of finding a solicitor and then going to court, the LGO is one of he only options available to those having difficulties with their council. And if they don't hold they council accountable and find no fault....theres less and less chance those with autism will lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. And social inclusion, forget it.
Hi Muddled, I could say a lot about this, having worked in the system as a social worker for many years. However, to keep it brief, I will say that due to the demands on services, it is those who shout loudest who get heard the most and due to the nature of autism, we are often the ones who shout the least loudest.
Also, it is never the title or job role of a person that will make the most difference, but the person themselves and due to the new care act, there really is scope to personalise support.
My advice to people is to get an advocate on board as a first step or somebody from a disabilities rights group or some other similar organisation. What we need, as a starting point, is somebody on our side. Somebody who is willing to spend some time with us, getting to know us, building up a relationship of trust, who can then work with us to get us the support we need. This may not necessarily be via social services, which is a good thing, as we want to be working towards empowerment and independence and away from dependence on services.
All we need is one person to be on our side, working with us, in a spirit of harmony, towards achieving our own personal aims. When we have this, we are off to a good start and we then simply keep going ‘until’ we reach our aims. The focus has to be on what we can do and what we want to do and not on what we can’t do and it can take a while to discover what we really want and need and joining a local support group, in my experience, is essential.