Our Legal Rights Service provides families of children with brain conditions with help when facing difficulties accessing support services they are entitled to.
Derek Tilley, Senior Development Officer on our LEaP Project, explains how we recently helped Hilary and her son Keith:
“Hilary, her husband and son Keith had moved to a neighbouring Welsh local authority for financial reasons. Keith has a metabolic disorder which has resulted in him having physical disabilities and he uses a wheelchair. He also has a moderate/severe learning disorder.
As a result of the move the family lost their support network and they had nobody to help care for Keith. Hilary and her husband were finding their situation increasingly isolating as they were not able to socialise together due to their caring duties and, except for school, Keith never went out into the community with anyone other than his parents.
Hilary requested a social care assessment for Keith and a parent carer’s needs assessment for herself. She felt they should have support so that Keith could access community activities with someone else other than themselves. She also wanted support so that she could go out with her husband and do ‘normal things’ like other couples.
The local authority carried out the requested assessments but concluded that the family didn’t meet the criteria for support. Hilary contacted us for help.
We referred Hilary to the relevant Welsh guidance and went through it in detail so that she understood how the system was supposed to work. She identified exactly the level of support she felt that the family needed. Together, we drafted a letter structured on the Welsh assessment guidance and asked for a reassessment of the family’s needs.
The local authority agreed to carry out a reassessment and allocated a social worker who made a home visit.
Following the home visit we received the following message:
“I’ve just got off the phone from Social Services and they have awarded us 8 of the 12 hours we asked for. Thank you ever so much for all your help. Providing me with all the information and helping me to make it clear in my own mind. Honestly, I am so very appreciative”.
