Hi Folks
I have just got home after a meeting which was based around the future of Social Care in Staffordshire.
The Meeting was held at the County Councils offices in Stafford.
Maybe not the best day to forget taking depression meds.
There were people present representing both current and past carers and those who were currently receiving the services directly from both the county council and the NHS Trust.
I wrongly thought the meeting would be to explain how the Integration process would work in the future however I was only half right in my assumption.
The Meeting was to allow opinions to be shared on all matters surrounding social care provision.
Five main actions had been identified from the experience of first contact to actions and communication and assistance to be provided.
I had promised myself prior to this meeting to not discuss my own experience however, within the first half hour it was becoming apparent that I had experience to share.
We discussed the difficulty for people to ask for social care help and the financial constraints on both the council and the trust.
It was identified that the ways of self referral was via telephone and other ways via hospital or GP.
When things go wrong and issues become apparent there is no way to gain direct face to face contact with a social worker.
This is very sad and hopefully when communications break down for whatever reason the client and carer should always have a voice.
In my own experience when communications with Adult Social Care broke down the victim became my grandfather where myself the carer and family member was raising valid safeguarding issues was being ignored by individual social care staff and the County Council.
So today lots of views were shared and exchanged and all was going well until we got to a bullet point regarding how do we ensure the care is being provided correctly.
All the frustration came flooding back It was suggested that the present system involved reviewing the care provision at six weeks and then yearly.
The internal distress at having raised constantly the poor care and failings in Safeguarding over many years and absolutely nothing being done about it by anybody.
The further advice that at present it is the Social Worker directly to review the care !
I was in complete disbelief.
On the whole the meeting was productive and very balanced and although going of subject a few times including possible the bulldozing of mid staffs hospital and the whole of the NHS lol.
In life when we get accountability like the Francis report we need to learn, Forgive and move forward.
If people think it is ok to cover up failure in care they need to be exposed only then can you move forward.
I think today my decision to attend a meeting at the County Councils office was not really the right venue after all the ignorance shown directly to myself by the Council, to sit in a room where individuals were listening to my views after the death of grandad was just far to much.
On the positive side one of the meeting members had a very good experience of social care in Staffordshire where the Social Support was fully there and he felt supported, maybe there is hope yet.
Hopefully some change and better practice can come from these meetings only time will tell.
Steve....
I have just got home after a meeting which was based around the future of Social Care in Staffordshire.
The Meeting was held at the County Councils offices in Stafford.
Maybe not the best day to forget taking depression meds.
There were people present representing both current and past carers and those who were currently receiving the services directly from both the county council and the NHS Trust.
I wrongly thought the meeting would be to explain how the Integration process would work in the future however I was only half right in my assumption.
The Meeting was to allow opinions to be shared on all matters surrounding social care provision.
Five main actions had been identified from the experience of first contact to actions and communication and assistance to be provided.
I had promised myself prior to this meeting to not discuss my own experience however, within the first half hour it was becoming apparent that I had experience to share.
We discussed the difficulty for people to ask for social care help and the financial constraints on both the council and the trust.
It was identified that the ways of self referral was via telephone and other ways via hospital or GP.
When things go wrong and issues become apparent there is no way to gain direct face to face contact with a social worker.
This is very sad and hopefully when communications break down for whatever reason the client and carer should always have a voice.
In my own experience when communications with Adult Social Care broke down the victim became my grandfather where myself the carer and family member was raising valid safeguarding issues was being ignored by individual social care staff and the County Council.
So today lots of views were shared and exchanged and all was going well until we got to a bullet point regarding how do we ensure the care is being provided correctly.
All the frustration came flooding back It was suggested that the present system involved reviewing the care provision at six weeks and then yearly.
The internal distress at having raised constantly the poor care and failings in Safeguarding over many years and absolutely nothing being done about it by anybody.
The further advice that at present it is the Social Worker directly to review the care !
I was in complete disbelief.
On the whole the meeting was productive and very balanced and although going of subject a few times including possible the bulldozing of mid staffs hospital and the whole of the NHS lol.
In life when we get accountability like the Francis report we need to learn, Forgive and move forward.
If people think it is ok to cover up failure in care they need to be exposed only then can you move forward.
I think today my decision to attend a meeting at the County Councils office was not really the right venue after all the ignorance shown directly to myself by the Council, to sit in a room where individuals were listening to my views after the death of grandad was just far to much.
On the positive side one of the meeting members had a very good experience of social care in Staffordshire where the Social Support was fully there and he felt supported, maybe there is hope yet.
Hopefully some change and better practice can come from these meetings only time will tell.
Steve....
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