0 comment Monday, July 21, 2014 | admin
Quick recap of the week -
I'm still getting the occasional twinge but the aspirin does seem to help - now seems the big issue is more having a stroke than anything else. It's possible I've already had one. There is something eminently mind-bending about the idea of actually getting a consultant to say "There's something wrong" and actually feeling relieved. I know in med-school they teach that expression of "Thank Goodness!" is a sign of an attention-seeking malingerer (because of course that's all we are!) but sometimes it's just the fact that you're not actually going utterly mad which causes the reaction. Just sayin'.
In the light of this fun and games, I called my ex to make the difficult decision to have him take over care. I transferred all the SEN stuff to him to fight for a tribunal on the decision not to change his Statement (more on that in a second), and got ready to be made homeless as I was going to lose all the benefits and therefore the house. Ex took a look through the massive pile of paperwork, tried to get a start on it but his panic and the Pussywhip got the better of him after a week (He lasted three days longer than I thought he would!). He got back to me last week and said he wasn't going to be able to take our son in as it was "too costly" and too stressful. I am not even going to dignify that with a rant: it's pretty much said everything I've been saying for months but Social Services refused to accept. So, child is here with me and I am willing myself not to keel over anytime soon as there's nowhere for my son to go at that point but into foster care. I applied for council housing but even with health concerns we're only at bronze band (which is the lowest apparently) so I don't really see any point in trying to get on that register as it will take ages before it happens.
The DWP letter came back - in light of my being housebound and all these health issues happening, and the fact a friend of mine who is also disabled is having to act as my carer as social services can't be arsed to help me, I have been awarded....wait for it.....low rate care and no mobility. Srsly. I'm floored, but not surprised. Cheers, ATOS. The "perk" to this is that it seems my previous case was looked at again and it was decided that I'd get backpay for the same rates and wouldn't need to attend the Tribunal after all. Of course that's all a ploy - they didn't want me going to tribunal in the state I'm in as I'd probably get awarded something decent, and then of course the current award would then be contestable as there's no cure for my chronic illness - it can only get worse. Can't have that, can we? So now I'm trying to decide whether or not I'll be going protest again, and I've got two clinics this week which may make that a big possibility.
But wait, there's more! Yes, the meeting was had with regard to child's statement. There was such a sheer number of complete bollocks spoken at that (I've received the minutes) that I won't even go into it. Let's just sum up that it seems there is a decided drive to save the SENCO's job rather than to actually represent the truth of the matter; it seems the LEA is completely unaware I have kept every scrap of documentation over the past two years and someone is going to be proven a liar. I now have a lawyer to handle the case for me and I'm hopefully going to be able to look at some schools in the next month provided I don't have another health emergency.
So child and I are still together and hopefully will remain so for a while provided I can get more doctors on board and listening. We'll be keeping the house. I've applied for Housing Benefit and hopefully that will be in soon. I've got someone else to fight the soul-destroying stuff of child's Statement and the school is actually deciding to follow the protocols the NAS specialist has given them so child is actually not blowing up quite so much or so badly at the moment, though I still stand by my resolve that he will not spend another year in mainstream. Health is shaky but the good news is that I seem to be getting somewhere with that - in addition it supports any appeal I have to make to get child into residential school somewhere, whether they want to pay for that or not. I've got a few charity applications to make in which I hope to both get the front path sorted out for wheeled access as well as something wheeled in the first place (not going to bother with trying to get a NHS powerchair or anything, but there are scooters I may be able to get) The ex...there isn't anything I can say. I just hope the sprog never realises how marginal he has become in his father's life. Sprog sure as hell isn't marginal in MINE, though.
So full steam ahead and roll on spring.
I'm still getting the occasional twinge but the aspirin does seem to help - now seems the big issue is more having a stroke than anything else. It's possible I've already had one. There is something eminently mind-bending about the idea of actually getting a consultant to say "There's something wrong" and actually feeling relieved. I know in med-school they teach that expression of "Thank Goodness!" is a sign of an attention-seeking malingerer (because of course that's all we are!) but sometimes it's just the fact that you're not actually going utterly mad which causes the reaction. Just sayin'.
In the light of this fun and games, I called my ex to make the difficult decision to have him take over care. I transferred all the SEN stuff to him to fight for a tribunal on the decision not to change his Statement (more on that in a second), and got ready to be made homeless as I was going to lose all the benefits and therefore the house. Ex took a look through the massive pile of paperwork, tried to get a start on it but his panic and the Pussywhip got the better of him after a week (He lasted three days longer than I thought he would!). He got back to me last week and said he wasn't going to be able to take our son in as it was "too costly" and too stressful. I am not even going to dignify that with a rant: it's pretty much said everything I've been saying for months but Social Services refused to accept. So, child is here with me and I am willing myself not to keel over anytime soon as there's nowhere for my son to go at that point but into foster care. I applied for council housing but even with health concerns we're only at bronze band (which is the lowest apparently) so I don't really see any point in trying to get on that register as it will take ages before it happens.
The DWP letter came back - in light of my being housebound and all these health issues happening, and the fact a friend of mine who is also disabled is having to act as my carer as social services can't be arsed to help me, I have been awarded....wait for it.....low rate care and no mobility. Srsly. I'm floored, but not surprised. Cheers, ATOS. The "perk" to this is that it seems my previous case was looked at again and it was decided that I'd get backpay for the same rates and wouldn't need to attend the Tribunal after all. Of course that's all a ploy - they didn't want me going to tribunal in the state I'm in as I'd probably get awarded something decent, and then of course the current award would then be contestable as there's no cure for my chronic illness - it can only get worse. Can't have that, can we? So now I'm trying to decide whether or not I'll be going protest again, and I've got two clinics this week which may make that a big possibility.
But wait, there's more! Yes, the meeting was had with regard to child's statement. There was such a sheer number of complete bollocks spoken at that (I've received the minutes) that I won't even go into it. Let's just sum up that it seems there is a decided drive to save the SENCO's job rather than to actually represent the truth of the matter; it seems the LEA is completely unaware I have kept every scrap of documentation over the past two years and someone is going to be proven a liar. I now have a lawyer to handle the case for me and I'm hopefully going to be able to look at some schools in the next month provided I don't have another health emergency.
So child and I are still together and hopefully will remain so for a while provided I can get more doctors on board and listening. We'll be keeping the house. I've applied for Housing Benefit and hopefully that will be in soon. I've got someone else to fight the soul-destroying stuff of child's Statement and the school is actually deciding to follow the protocols the NAS specialist has given them so child is actually not blowing up quite so much or so badly at the moment, though I still stand by my resolve that he will not spend another year in mainstream. Health is shaky but the good news is that I seem to be getting somewhere with that - in addition it supports any appeal I have to make to get child into residential school somewhere, whether they want to pay for that or not. I've got a few charity applications to make in which I hope to both get the front path sorted out for wheeled access as well as something wheeled in the first place (not going to bother with trying to get a NHS powerchair or anything, but there are scooters I may be able to get) The ex...there isn't anything I can say. I just hope the sprog never realises how marginal he has become in his father's life. Sprog sure as hell isn't marginal in MINE, though.
So full steam ahead and roll on spring.
Labels: Advocacy, Languishment, Sprog