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carer's obligations

andrew720

Hi, just a quick question...

Is a parent or carer of an autistic child obliged by law to ensure that any required assistance or support is given to the child if it enables the child to cope with issues with regards to being on the autism spectrum. Is it regarded as 'neglect' if a person or carer refuses to do so and is that something to be reported to local authorities?

thanks in advance.

Parents
  • Former Member
    Former Member

    CC is right, if you are concerned about the welfare of any child then you should report it to Social Services. You are not obliged to do this but you are entitled to do so. SS are, in turn, obliged to investigate reasonable concerns. Parents/guardians are prosecuted for neglect and in the end a court must decide, with the aid of expert witnesses etc, what is reasonable in the circumstances.

    There are also obligations on the state to provide reasonable assistance for children with special educational needs. EHC plans have replaced "Statements" in England and you can consult the IPSEA website for more details about that.

    The word "reasonable" has no hard and fast definition, it must depend on the prospect of harm and the prospect of benefits as judged by experts and the court that hears the case.

    If you have difficulty in making your point to the LA, e.g. in case you were autistic yourself, then enlisting the assistance of an advocate may help the process run more smoothly. There are advocacy services described elsewhere on the NAS website.

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  • Former Member
    Former Member

    CC is right, if you are concerned about the welfare of any child then you should report it to Social Services. You are not obliged to do this but you are entitled to do so. SS are, in turn, obliged to investigate reasonable concerns. Parents/guardians are prosecuted for neglect and in the end a court must decide, with the aid of expert witnesses etc, what is reasonable in the circumstances.

    There are also obligations on the state to provide reasonable assistance for children with special educational needs. EHC plans have replaced "Statements" in England and you can consult the IPSEA website for more details about that.

    The word "reasonable" has no hard and fast definition, it must depend on the prospect of harm and the prospect of benefits as judged by experts and the court that hears the case.

    If you have difficulty in making your point to the LA, e.g. in case you were autistic yourself, then enlisting the assistance of an advocate may help the process run more smoothly. There are advocacy services described elsewhere on the NAS website.

Children
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