Limited contact.
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:37 am
Hi,
My son is 19 and under Young Adults care. He moved into Shared Lives after leaving school last year.
Social Services are being completely intractable about the amount of contact I can have. I’ve been told, not offered, told, that I can see him for two hours a month with a pick up from his carers in a car park.
I did get to see him for half an hour, for the first time in three months, at his Day Centre, which is closer to me so very convenient, but now I’ve been told not to go there again. The visit, although short, was a great success, didn’t affect his, or the staff’s, day and they invited me back to call in whenever I wanted. But now the SS have stated, very bluntly, this is not to happen. I suspect that his carers are driving this, maybe they’ve had a bad experience in the past.
So, is this very limited access normal, is it acceptable, should I just be grateful for small mercies ? Social Services are not open to any flexibility what-so-ever. All I want is to pop up and see him every fortnight or so just for half an hour at his Day Centre but there is no way they will move on this having ‘offered’ two hours a month elsewhere. To be honest, I really don’t want to meet his carers, particularly under these circumstances. They’ve left a very sour taste in my mouth and I wouldn’t want an argument with them in a Starbucks car park in front of my son. Stressed !
Any advice / suggestions very welcome.
Thank you.
My son is 19 and under Young Adults care. He moved into Shared Lives after leaving school last year.
Social Services are being completely intractable about the amount of contact I can have. I’ve been told, not offered, told, that I can see him for two hours a month with a pick up from his carers in a car park.
I did get to see him for half an hour, for the first time in three months, at his Day Centre, which is closer to me so very convenient, but now I’ve been told not to go there again. The visit, although short, was a great success, didn’t affect his, or the staff’s, day and they invited me back to call in whenever I wanted. But now the SS have stated, very bluntly, this is not to happen. I suspect that his carers are driving this, maybe they’ve had a bad experience in the past.
So, is this very limited access normal, is it acceptable, should I just be grateful for small mercies ? Social Services are not open to any flexibility what-so-ever. All I want is to pop up and see him every fortnight or so just for half an hour at his Day Centre but there is no way they will move on this having ‘offered’ two hours a month elsewhere. To be honest, I really don’t want to meet his carers, particularly under these circumstances. They’ve left a very sour taste in my mouth and I wouldn’t want an argument with them in a Starbucks car park in front of my son. Stressed !
Any advice / suggestions very welcome.
Thank you.