Social workers rights?

incababe

Registered User
Oct 20, 2010
7
0
My father is under a psychiatric social worker. We have not been impressed by the social worker at all, she has been very inefficient and not coming back to us when asked and then alleging we have slammed the phone down on her etc..(not correct)
Anyway… we went to a review meeting last week about my father’s care at the day assessment centre a week ago and the social worker was on part of the team along with the doctors, nurses etc…
We requested that we would like to have a change of social worker and she said that she would have to go back to her team. We guessed that she was not happy about this request.
We heard from the GP yesterday, who received a letter from the social worker, that this social worker has made herself in charge of my father’s care – over and above my mother’s say. We have not heard anything from the social worker direct. She has tried to call my mum a couple of times, but we believe chosen times when my mother is not in. As at those times my mum takes my dad to day care so the social worker would know my mum would not be in then.

Any idea where we stand on this, can a social worker do this kind of thing. To us, it is almost as if she is doing it in spite as we asked for another social worker and not her.
We are extremely concerned about the implications of this.
 

TinaT

Registered User
Sep 27, 2006
7,097
0
Costa Blanca Spain
Write to the director of Social Care if she works for the council and inform them that you wish to change your social worker. If she is a hospital social worker, I would write to the director/team leader and request the same.

My friend is a social worker and assures me that it is your right to change the social worker if you do not want this person in the lead position.

Much luck to you and please let us know how you get on.

xxTinaT
 

stevemeredith

Registered User
Oct 10, 2010
10
0
colwyn bay
If you have the best interest of your father at heart then you certainly have the right to challenge the kind of care he is being given. My advice is to keep notes of every incident so that you can refer to it if you are making a complaint. The other point is, if you believe you are in the right (and you know your father and his needs better than anyone else) then be strong and stand up for yourselves. People in social services etc are there to provide support for you and your father. If they are not doing it properly complain and do it strongly. We've been lucky so far in that all the people who have been involved with my fathers care have been great. I think we do tend to behave as if other people know best and that often isn't right - if you feel the care your father is being given is inadequate then stand up and say so - if you don't want this social worker to be in charge of his care, you have a right to say that and a right to have it changed.
 

stevemeredith

Registered User
Oct 10, 2010
10
0
colwyn bay
I just want to add, and this is probably going to become a hobby horse of mine, that people who spend, let's say ten to fifteen minutes with a person per month shouldn't be able to pass judgement on their care, and that includes GPs...

There...I've said it...
 

incababe

Registered User
Oct 20, 2010
7
0
Thank you for your replies. We do feel nervous. My mother is convinced that when the SW wrote to the GP the SW now has taken my mothers rights away to decide what happens to my father. So she is so worried about what to do.
We are concerned that the SW is trying to take control so that we cannot change her.
As I mentioned the SW only returns my mother's calls when my mum is out. The SW has my father's care plans and knows when my mother is out to take him there.
Yes, I will keep you posted about what happens.
 

Jancis

Registered User
Jun 30, 2010
2,567
0
70
Hampshire
I just want to add, and this is probably going to become a hobby horse of mine, that people who spend, let's say ten to fifteen minutes with a person per month shouldn't be able to pass judgement on their care, and that includes GPs...

There...I've said it...

Thanks for your true and profound post, Stevemeredith, I agree with you 1000%. Hope this helps you incababe, there is a lot of support here.
 

Sandy

Registered User
Mar 23, 2005
6,847
0
Hi incababe,

Welcome to Talking Point (TP).

My understanding is that a SW can not unilaterally take over the decisions regarding your father's care.

The key issue is whether or not your father has the mental capacity to make decisions about aspects of his care.

If he has capacity, then he can decide what needs to happen.

If he lacks capacity, then there has to be a formal Best Interests meeting where family and medical/social care professionals consider the options jointly and try and reach some conclusions.

There is a very detailed document about this process here:

http://www.pmldnetwork.org/resources/bps_best_interests_guide.pdf

Take care,
 

incababe

Registered User
Oct 20, 2010
7
0
Sandy thanks for the PDF link. It is quite long, so I will try and read it tomorrow when I am less tired. But this is encouraging and makes me feel less fearful. I will call and let my mother know in the morning, she is more fretful about this than I am.
(Steve Meredith, yes, I agree too. It also applies for the GP when i visit for my children's ailments/problems. It is not just restricted to those with dementia.)
 

incababe

Registered User
Oct 20, 2010
7
0
Sandy, any idea where i can get a hard copy of this document? Maybe contact the BPS directly? I think my mother would like to read this too but she does better reading hard copies of literature rather than on a computer screen.
 

Sandy

Registered User
Mar 23, 2005
6,847
0
Yes, the BPS would be the best place to try.

The next best thing would be to just print out some selected pages of the bits that are most relevant.

Also, you might try Googling the name of your local authority or primary care trust and the term Best Interests, as some put useful bits of info online.

Take care,