formal complaint about social worker

peaceofmind

I placed a formal complaint about my social worker with the help of an advocate (I couldn't have managed without her) and 7 months later I have received the outcome that an invoice is to be written off BUT that there isn't anyone else to take her place as a SW and do I want to reinstate my care plan? I can take the matter further if I am not satisfied with the outcome or ……(I don't know what). I have had no care in the time since I made the complaint. It all had a lot to do with being my first time needing support in this way and new to benefits and DP and I found it all far too confusing and didn't understand the implications with my council and finance department. I have mental, physical, learning and cognitive issues and I forgot to do some of the essential informing to the financial department and got in a terrible muddle, pulling out of it when I found out I was being charged £19.52per hour for a carer for 4 hours per week I felt I had not been informed appropriately or supported through the whole process of everything happening at once and also going through PIP and LWCRA all of which were a nightmare. So in a panic about the money I cancelled my carer and tried to get to the bottom of the issue. Its taken all this time to hear back from them. It has been so traumatising, stressful and extremely hard with a possible debt of over £1000. Just prior to the formal complaint I had my care package increased to 8 hours but then it all fell apart. My health has declined and I am terrified of being caught up in a system I don't understand and cannot cope with all the paperwork. It was hard enough first time round but for it all to go pear shaped has just damaged it further. I have severe Complex PTSD. I don't trust the system or the council and as for my Social Worker I think she made light of my issues and treated me as if I was able to manage everything and understood everything, gaslighting me and not taking ownership or following through her duty of care. - I am 60 years old and 'look fine' and speak well but she had my medical history and I shared the depths of abuse and trauma to her in my two appointments to build up my care plan. Letting people in the house is hard enough. I am a survivor and come through many adversities and still fight the good fight but I shared with her so carefully and trustingly but through her lack of experience and age she just didn't grasp the severity of my struggles and this chaos ensued. Now I am left to decide to either go alone or go back in with her. I am extremely understanding of her age and inexperience and wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt which I did a few times but eventually it ended in the mess above….Please be gentle in your approach to any responses as its all hard enough anyway. I just wonder if anyone has gone through anything like this themselves…and if so please could you share any thoughts on the matter ….thank you….

troublethomas

I don't have any experience of this but would just like to say if you are not happy with the care surely they should find you someone else. You have right to be treated fairly and your needs met properly. I hope you do manage to get things sorted for you as soon as possible as this can only lead to more stress otherwise. Continue to find someone else. You matter.