Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello,
My 19 year old son is currently in residential care. The care is classed as 'supported living' for individuals who have mental health problems. He has been at the home for about a year.
This wee I was told that the managers of the home did not think the placement was suitable for him. They feel he needs more specialised care. Currently he has meltdowns, self harms and dresses inappropriately for the weather. Things came to a head a bit last week when he got a bit upset and rode off dangerously on his bike.
My son is a good deal younger than the other residents in the home, and his profile is a little different. He needs prompting and he loves to talk, but he also finds the group work that forms the core or the therapy in the home, difficult to manage. He has a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome and is being assessed for psychosis, but his assessment is inconclusive.
The problem is, he rejects anything to do with autism and I am afraid that he will reject any alternative provision on the basis that it is too 'specialised'. He cannot come home due to problems I have mentioned on previous posts and he cannot live independently.
I just feel a bit stuck. Has anyone any ideas?
Thanks
Is there a possibility of him having a care worker or someone who can visit him daily / a few times a week, to work with him? I've heard that PIP can be used to pay for private carers but I'm not sure how all of that works - anyone ?? A carer could help with prompting re. the activities he finds difficult and also advocate for him on the days when group activities become too much for him.
Does your son have a case worker or someone who worked on his behalf during his application for supported accommodation? If so, this person should have knowledge of his Asperger's diagnosis and it may be worth involving them again in trying to reach a compromise with the home's staff re. group work / therapy which would seem counter-intuitive to your son's diagnosis. Not that your son CAN'T take part in group work at all, of course, but for there to be some leeway, taking into account that there will be times he finds this more difficult to do than others. Perhaps an agreement that he need only take part in some, rather than all, of these activities?
Thank you for the reply. I also feel that it would be better for everyone if my son had additional support in the accommodation that he already has. It was incredibly difficult to find any accommodation for him and, despite his problems, my son has made one or two friends at his home and gets on well with the staff. he also is tentatively starting voluntary work and college in the local area.
However, the home say it is 'against their ethos' and their 'open door policy' to provide the high level of support that my son needs. They also stress that he has taken some serious risks.
I feel the home are wrong to take this stance, but I also feel a little impotent.
If your son doesn't already have contact with a support worker it may be worth contacting your local authority to request one for him, someone to advocate on his (and your) behalf with the staff at the home and who will be in a position to ensure that the staff are meeting your son's needs and treating him fairly. A support worker should also be in a position to arrange some (private or local authority) carer arrangement for your son which would be independent of the home's staff and in no way "against their ethos", as they're saying.
You shouldn't have to do this on your own, the local authority social care team are there for just this purpose and have experience in all of these areas. As an independent young adult, your son has every right to access their services. If you have concerns about contacting them directly, your local CAB should be able to advocate on your's and your son's behalf.
I think you have a right to see, and be much more involved in, everything relating to your son. These rights may not necessarily be offered to you at each step but if you were to request them (just as any advocate would) they cannot refuse to let you see them. Ask for your own copies of these documents, not simply to read their copies.
You may find that the managers have stated that your son's behaviour has changed (in order to justify their actions) but you, an advocate, or a GP can contest this and ask for proof of their claims. The EHCP does need to be challenged within a (2-week?) short time so the sooner you and / or an advocate can start this process the better - before things move to the implementation stage!