Sitting in on a phone as an advocate for 17 year old son during PIP assessment

ellie451

Has anyone else had a PIP assessment for their teen child ? I’m absolutely astonished with their lack of empathy for a 17 year old . I understand the process but she was grilling him to the point it reduced him to shock. I had to tell her stop and remind he was a 17 year doing an adult assessment. I said he had already told you stop asking the same thing over and over over again . Which she was trying to trip him up. It was awful . She said she had to to understand otherwise he would be sent back but she wouldn’t let up . Can I make a complaint?Thanks so upsetting

Kimmy87

Yes absolutely you can make a complaint.

The health assessment agency will have details of the complaint procedure on their website

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

Yes, you can make a complaint to the assessment providers.

ellie451

Thanks she kept asking the same question about going to the shop the distance to the shop change at the shop it was constantly about going to the shop when he doesn’t go. She said why does the go out even though she had been told by him many times in different ways all of the ways . She said she had to get a clarity on how far he can walk we told her there is nothing wrong with his mobility so why does she keep talking about walking to the shop he doesn’t go to. I felt so bad for him. This is not fit for purpose for a teen. The form didn’t get filled on so she was going in blind to begin with but he made it very clear on all points but the shop thing she was constantly trying to admit to going to the shop

ellie451

she wanted examples of his fatigue and would not accept them from inside the home or his college and kept grilling him on walking to the shop. Talking to people in the shop every few questions she would slip the shop in again .

anisty

That seems very odd if you ticked the box for no issues with mobility.

If he has said he has difficulties with budgeting, maybe she was trying to find out if he needs someone with him at all times where money is involved.

I know this one went against my son (i am my son's appointee so no grilling) but i stated he does not understand money concepts which is true but no points were awarded for budgeting as i said he is able to go into a shop and use his card to make small purchases.

Being able to go to a shop might also involve being able to use language skills and standing near to other people plus making choices. So it is an activity which shows social skills, language skills and cognitive skills as well as physical skills.

So - who knows why she was fixed on the shop but just a few suggestions there as possibles.

No excuse for pressurising your son like that though - maybe an appointeeship would suit you and your son too going forward. Do complain though, definitely!

ellie451

yeah I can see why but she wouldn’t change her scenerio to suit his refusal to go into shops so all of her examples were him entering a shop. She didn’t need to ask him how far to the nearest shop would he walk etc . She had no skills with a young adult .There was no difference the way she treated him to an adult I think it’s horrendous. The way she was speaking to him after he did state he had no mobility issues was like a number not a human child .

That’s good you had a different experience. He also didn’t fill in a form as it went all to his emails and part of the way he is is not to process information and it’s too confrontational for us and me to go through his private emails when trying to help so she was trying her best to understand probably but to it was too much . I was treated a lot better as an adult in my assessment last year and didn’t need to be told the scenerio of going to the shop to understand distance and mobiyeyc. She just would not use a different scenario. I wouldn’t have wished this on anyone let alone a older child x

Mary_Scope

Hi @ellie451

That sounds like a very distressing and upsetting situation for both you and your son.

You definitely can make a complaint about PIP assessment

ellie451

Thankyou for all the comments . I don’t know what to do next I know it will come back rejected as not enough evidence . As the young woman said if it gets rewarded it will get backdated but I said if it gets rejected can I send in evidence etc . It’s so difficult to help a teen who doesn’t want to be helped anyway let alone this. I had fierce mum in me when he was being grilled . It didn’t make a difference to her that he is undiagnosed either. It’s really terrible they put 16 upwards into adult category

ellie451

example when I was upset in my assessment I got told to take my time etc, this woman didn’t even have any communication skills to say just think about your response and take a breath eyc when he was crying. I said he was crying and she just said if I don’t make it clear in her mind then it will be rejected and just sent back to her again . No awareness of the present moment of an actual human x