Contact venuue

[eng65]

My daughter who is 15 years old has disabilities; she has to use a wheel chair because she is unable to walk but she has no problem crawling once she is out of her chair.

Contact is for two hours and the contact venue that was used was McDonalds, I did complain this is not suitable because she has to remain in her wheel chair. When the weather was warmer we could go to the park, or a play centre, but she is now too big for this venue.

I have complained numerous times, and all that happened was contact was moved to a restaurant building and nothing has changed. I contacted her review manager but still nothing. There is not too much available in our area that is suitable for her to go, but I would have thought they would have a place that is suitable, or would have found something.

I can only conclude that they can’t be bothered to provide a suitable venue, I don’t think the finance is an issue. I know I will have to take this back to court to make change, but why should this be?

It appears there is wonton neglect of my Childs issues and this constitutes abuse of my child an affront their ethics.

Advice please thank you

eng65

[ange301126]

Dear eng65,
I sometimes wonder where social workers get their brains,I am sad to say.My daughter is nearly 16, a young woman now and my son 12 and we have to have contact at a nursery cum playgroup building.The tables and chairs we have to sit at are suitable for 2 year olds.The hosts won't allow hot drinks because they might constitute a danger to children! When I asked the key social worker for a change , she looked at me gone out and said "What's wrong with it here?"
Next time you go to McDonalds , think about us!

[eng65]

Ange,
Sometimes i think that some have undiagnosed personalty disorders that prevents them seeing things in a normal way. Maybe sociapathy is a norm in their line of work. I wonder what the reaction would be if the venue was held at their homes lol

Back to court it will have to go!

[ange301126]

Dear eng65,

I suggest you put it in a request by e-mail to the team manager first.
Usually the social workers are just following instructions and cannot actually make a decision.Keep any reply you get and if it's negative, write to the Director of Communities and People to complain.They can overrule the CS if you make out your case. Is there a contact order in existence at the moment? What sort of order is your daughter under?

[eng65]

Ange

Yes there is a contact order, that is a full care order.

Thanks

eng65

[ange301126]

Dear eng65,

They have a full care-order for our children.There is no contact order and we applied for one.It was refused.When there is no contact order, the CS can more or less do what they want because the so-called IRO's usually side with the department.The best thing is to get their reasons not to change in writing if you can as I have already said.Otherwise you can't really protest to anyone.

When issuing a full care-order, a judge endorses a care-plan included in which will be recommendations for contact. However, the CS have the discretion to alter them and often do so.Obviously if they decide to do , it affects the children's welfare.Thus under the terms of the care-order,they should discuss changes with you first. In practice, they often abuse the care-order( which gives them shared parental responsibility and issue unilateral diktats on contact and many other issues.

If ,after you have tried my suggestions,they will still not change and you decide to apply to court for an order,keep in touch with the forums and I will tell you what to watch out for.