Question about powers of a social worker
- Thread starter Chezdog
- Start date
Hello @Chezdog and welcome to TP
I personally don’t know what legal rights a SW has I wonder if a call to the helpline would help clarify your position
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/national-dementia-helpline
I personally don’t know what legal rights a SW has I wonder if a call to the helpline would help clarify your position
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/national-dementia-helpline
Hi Chezdog. The social worker may want to see your dad alone for a variety of reasons. I know my MIL will look to me to try to assess the ‘right’ way to reply so the social worker gets a clearer idea of how she really is mentally without me there. The social worker is there for your father not you and someone new could be a little clumsy getting the idea across.
The assessment of lacking capacity in our area is usually aimed at a specific question eg can the person with dementia make decisions about their medication. Do you know if his capacity was assessed as an overall situation or aimed at something specific?
The assessment of lacking capacity in our area is usually aimed at a specific question eg can the person with dementia make decisions about their medication. Do you know if his capacity was assessed as an overall situation or aimed at something specific?
We've not had good experiences with any social worker (SW) unfortunately, and we've seen dozens as they change so often. In fact, the local authority told me that I'd be better acting Care Manager for my parents as this role has now been merged into SW workloads and in practice, I'd do it better and more quickly!!!
My rule of thumb is - be at every meeting and tell them you want to be present at meetings as an advocate. Even at the GPs they let a chaperone sit in so you're entitled to that.
When Mum was in hospital due to come home, at the multi-disciplinary meeting to discharge her, the SW took Dad to one side and later we found out he had apparently said he'd cook her meals and generally look after her, so they decided Mum and Dad didn't need social care help. We didn't find this out until I asked to the see the care assessment notes. Dad has Parkinson's, was walking badly, and couldn't even make a sandwich if you asked him, let alone help Mum bath and change her incontinence pads. Of course I challenged this and got it rectified.
At another care assessment review, the social worker admitted he only worked with young people so wasn't used to assessing elderly care needs. The manner in which he handled the delicate questions about Mum's abilities was atrocious - zero empathy, clumsy questioning, and no abilitiy to modify his approach for a fragile lady with dementia. In the end, Mum burst into tears and cried "You may as well shoot me then. I can't do anything". From that point he started doing bizarre Bruce Forsyth impressions as he wound down the meeting "Nice to see you, to see you nice" to each of us. At that point I bundled him out of the door. Obviously I put in a complaint, and asked to see his care assessment review - which turned out not to be the official form you usually see, but about 12 abbreviated sentences on a blank Word doc that a child could have written. He hadn't even created the form or submitted it. The fact he turned up in baggy jeans, trainers and a jumper didn't shout professionalism to me. The council agreed it was all sub-standard.
I could go on as I have many more incidents like this. Such as the SW who delighted in telling me during a care meeting that she was only part-time, as she and her husband were running a car-hire business and she was going to move away soon to run it full time.
The mind absolutely boggles at the thought of these people deciding the best care strategies for vulnerable people who don't have family either interested in or able to act as their voice.
With SW's I question everything and take nothing at face value. Now before my meetings, I do my research into what the law/government care regulations stipulate and double-check this in various places. I question everything and I mean everything - who's going to be at the meeting, why, what's their authority, what are the range of outcomes, etc. And to make sure they don't try to water down my comments to suit their workloads/budgets, I ask to see the final assessment. I've got a free app on my phone that records chats, so I use that as my recollection of the chat so I know what I said.
Be persistent and know what your entitled to before they try to tell you something different.
Best of luck!!
Moog x
My rule of thumb is - be at every meeting and tell them you want to be present at meetings as an advocate. Even at the GPs they let a chaperone sit in so you're entitled to that.
When Mum was in hospital due to come home, at the multi-disciplinary meeting to discharge her, the SW took Dad to one side and later we found out he had apparently said he'd cook her meals and generally look after her, so they decided Mum and Dad didn't need social care help. We didn't find this out until I asked to the see the care assessment notes. Dad has Parkinson's, was walking badly, and couldn't even make a sandwich if you asked him, let alone help Mum bath and change her incontinence pads. Of course I challenged this and got it rectified.
At another care assessment review, the social worker admitted he only worked with young people so wasn't used to assessing elderly care needs. The manner in which he handled the delicate questions about Mum's abilities was atrocious - zero empathy, clumsy questioning, and no abilitiy to modify his approach for a fragile lady with dementia. In the end, Mum burst into tears and cried "You may as well shoot me then. I can't do anything". From that point he started doing bizarre Bruce Forsyth impressions as he wound down the meeting "Nice to see you, to see you nice" to each of us. At that point I bundled him out of the door. Obviously I put in a complaint, and asked to see his care assessment review - which turned out not to be the official form you usually see, but about 12 abbreviated sentences on a blank Word doc that a child could have written. He hadn't even created the form or submitted it. The fact he turned up in baggy jeans, trainers and a jumper didn't shout professionalism to me. The council agreed it was all sub-standard.
I could go on as I have many more incidents like this. Such as the SW who delighted in telling me during a care meeting that she was only part-time, as she and her husband were running a car-hire business and she was going to move away soon to run it full time.
The mind absolutely boggles at the thought of these people deciding the best care strategies for vulnerable people who don't have family either interested in or able to act as their voice.
With SW's I question everything and take nothing at face value. Now before my meetings, I do my research into what the law/government care regulations stipulate and double-check this in various places. I question everything and I mean everything - who's going to be at the meeting, why, what's their authority, what are the range of outcomes, etc. And to make sure they don't try to water down my comments to suit their workloads/budgets, I ask to see the final assessment. I've got a free app on my phone that records chats, so I use that as my recollection of the chat so I know what I said.
Be persistent and know what your entitled to before they try to tell you something different.
Best of luck!!
Moog x
They are totally untrustworthy and have proven to be in the past. I can only imagine they want my dad to say no to having his case notes and that’s the only reason for it. I am however going to request to record the conversation.... I’m guessing they shouldn’t have a problem with that in the interest of transpancy and all that. Let’s see.
If you just want a copy of your Dad's case notes then you can submit a GDPR Subject Access Request (SAR). The LA / Social services website should provide details of how you can submit a request. You usually need to complete a request form and provide various copies of ID.
Unless there is a doubt over whether your Dad has mental capacity (mental capacity can fluctuate), if he has capacity he can submit the request himself but if not, if you have Health & Welfare POA you can submit the application of his behalf.
Unless there is a doubt over whether your Dad has mental capacity (mental capacity can fluctuate), if he has capacity he can submit the request himself but if not, if you have Health & Welfare POA you can submit the application of his behalf.
