Please find below some of the feedback we have received from our clients and students. If you would like to leave us some feedback, please either use the comment box at the bottom of this page, or email Aidan Miller (aidanmiller@cascaidr.org.uk)
All comments are moderated before posting on the site.
- You have helped me so muchI’ve been listening in the car on the way to my visits. You have helped me so much, I’m especially challenged at the moment with a transition case and your podcasts have been so informative.
- Fantastic PodcastsI would like to thank you for the fantastic podcasts. I am an independent advocate, IMCA, Care Act qualified.
- We FINALLY got there Belinda!!!! We FINALLY got there Belinda!!!! Thank you so much for helping us pushing them for expert brain injury advice
- Everyone is so pleasedEveryone is so pleased [you are willing to answer bespoke questions] and I’m putting together the questions they have and will send over as before the meeting. I learn something every time I listen to the Podcast and it’s helping us challenge practice.
- I am impressedI am impressed with your sensitivity to X and very appreciative of your candour and your skill in understanding and responding to X and treating X with integrity and compassion
- Many thanksMany thanks for getting back to me with such a detailed response. It really means a lot to have such professional support in my dispute with the local council. I look forward to working with you over the coming weeks.
- Thanks so muchThanks so much for your email I really appreciate your time spent sending it and reviewing what I put on the form.
- I “enjoy” your newsletterPS. I “enjoy” your round-up newsletter. It is an extraordinary piece of work. I admire and respect your perseverance.
- Right QuestionsYou seem very good at asking the right questions to get the information that’s needed for this, which is so helpful for me. Thank you so much for getting this started for me. I couldn’t have done it without your help.
- Promoting the improvement of social care.I follow you on LinkedIn and have been watching your webinars, thank you for championing and actively promoting the improvement of social care.
- Fairy truth magic!I don’t know what I would have done without your fairy truth magic.
- Helpful PodcastI’m the Director of xyz Co-operative and wanted to let Belinda know that her Podcast information has enabled us to challenge the council regarding Care Plans and the allocation of a Direct Payment and the breakdown of what it is for.
- I thoroughly enjoyed the courseI thoroughly enjoyed the course, and it will continue to be immensely useful to my current board role and I hope it will enable me to offer something back to the community more generally.
- Rich in structural patterns“Just caught up with the Podcasts on principles. It is really rich in structural patterns” “The shorter, bite-sized offerings of 30-45 minutes are far more effective”
- Thank you so much for your help and guidanceThank you so much for your help and guidance. My sister was moved to a much closer care home yesterday so hopefully, all will be well. Your help was much appreciated. Thank you again
- Really helpful…to be able to understand legal issues with clear language and outlines of what this means in practice. I like the clear and down to earth writing style which makes complex information seem more accessible
- With the excellent advice on the CASCAIDr websiteWith the excellent advice on the CASCAIDr website, I challenged the care home’s assessment of the 2Bs and the rest of the Cs and got a proper evaluation which assesses my dad’s needs as 5As, 4Bs and 2Cs.
- I’m sure us having all the correct informationI’m sure us having all the correct information to highlight their specific failings helped portray us as a force that would not back down gently!
- I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for your adviceI just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for your advice. The local authority agreed yesterday to [the] placement at residential FE college which is a huge relief. And yes the key was social care. Once I managed to get hold of the head of service, he then recommended the placement and agreed the social care component funding so there was nothing for education to argue about. It is evident though that the departments do not …
I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for your advice Read More »
- I have had a six-month battle with the ICBI have had a six-month battle with the ICB. I finally initiated an informal complaint on Monday. By Monday afternoon I was offered a phone call. On Wednesday morning I had a very long phone call from an ICB head of service. I was able to explain the issue with their policy and failure to follow a C&S Plan. At 8.20PM last night I received an email to confirm the problem was resolved and my son’s service reinstated, and transport …
- Why we fightWhy we fight. This is my daughter back to her usual happy and communicative state now that she is settled with carers we know and trust with long standing friends in supported living on direct payments. It’s been the end of a four-year struggle but we won. Thank you CASCAIDr for your help and support during all that time. Here my daughter is being mystified by the concept of a chocolate pizza…
- “Crying out for a different approach to working and caring”I think many people, even within LAs and NHS, are crying out for a different approach to working and caring. Equally, there are a lot of people who either don’t care or want to see the reality of what is going on, the impact of their decisions or non-decisions, etc. Accountability void. Law and legal literacy are definitely one of the most potent tools for redress
- For 13 years I have battledFor 13 years I have battled to get my diabetic son’s needs met and every agency led back to, or advised that I speak to social services, who were part of the problem!Belinda put me in touch with Lawstop who have been amazing.I’d like to give something back by raising funds for your organisation and also raise awareness of T1 diabetes when accompanied by neurological impairments.…Navigating and battling this system has been all consuming but I’m so grateful that Belinda …
- Thank you so very much for your good adviceThank you so very much for your good advice – it worked, and the LGO have agreed to review their final decision. I hope they come up with a more appropriate one!
- I am pleased to report that I have made good progressI am pleased to report that I have made good progress with my daughter’s support plan and associated budget that I proposed to the LA. The budget and justification for the funds has been approved. The LA also approved the cost for using PAs – as I highlighted to the LA, this arrangement meets my daughter’s care needs. I was thrilled that the LA accepted that the support plan should be based entirely on meeting her needs as opposed to …
I am pleased to report that I have made good progress Read More »
- Working on a voluntary basisWorking on a voluntary basis, Belinda founded the online charity CASCAIDr to give people advice and information to access the social care they are entitled to. With a distinct emphasis on justice, Belinda shares her immense knowledge and legal literacy with those who need it most. She is also committed to workforce development and trains many to the highest standard. Belinda is much deserving of this award
- Meeting you gave us such hopeI wanted to end by saying that meeting you gave A and me such hope that there are people like you and organisations like yours that really care and want to help and actually know what you are talking about.
- I am so grateful …Her presentation and questions answered were as though they were for me personally, I could identify with all she said, I am so grateful for what she and Cascaidr are doing for people like me and my family. Thank you
- Course…this is incredibly good value. We’ve seen the depth you go into for what I thought would be a ‘light touch’ overview course, so I’d expect this new project would be the campaign equivalent of a scudmissile….
- The detail is phenomenalThank you so much for responding. The detail is phenomenal. I know exactly where we stand. I appreciate your knowledge and guidance and feel far more informed and confident.
- Without your help this simply would NOT have happenedI wanted to thank you again and let you know that we managed to rescue mum from the care home after a struggle with Adult Social Care. Without your help this simply would NOT have happened. I owe you a debt of gratitude I cannot pay.
- I have been really enjoying the courseI have been really enjoying the course, it’s required a lot of commitment due to all the reading but it’s really been helpful and the way you have split it up into sections has made it more understandable. I’ve found it incredibly interesting and pitched at the right level for me I believe the design works well, to have a visual aid -powerpoint, while you are explaining new topics and information helps. Then to go into smaller groups to discuss …
- It’s hard to express my gratitude for your and your colleague’s helpIt’s hard to express my gratitude for yours and your colleague’s help with this, we feel so alone and exhausted by it all and worried about our sister’s future and you have given us a much needed injection of confidence and clear thinking for which we shall be forever grateful.
- I would not have got this far without your help and kind supportCHC/CCG are now working together with G’s clinicians to get him back home promptly with the right care package. I am so elated. I cannot thank you enough for your counsel. I would not have got this far without your help and kind support. Thank you! I am not sure what I can do for you to repay your kindness. Know this, if I can help you in any way, I will.
- You have provided us with a great deal of informationYou have provided us with a great deal of information and advice which I’m sure will be of immense use. Not only did you respond immediately with the best advice we’ve been given to date, but you have helped to renew our determination to ensure our mother receives the best care.
- Thank you for your untiring workAll the best and thank you for your untiring work unravelling the beastly complicated and twisted regulations for better understanding by us lay people
- Thank you so much for the help and the recommendationsThank you so much for the help and the recommendations. I will definitely recommend your charity to other parents……People like you and your charity make a lot of difference to children, adults and their families. Your answers made me feel there is hope and that in itself has helped me to fight on!
- Our phone call and your advice was exceptionally useful“Our phone call and your advice was exceptionally useful and something of an alarming wake-up call, for which we are most grateful. And thank you for your great effort in identifying the points for us to consider, outlined in your most recent email today.”
- Your charity is amazingThank you so much for your email and all the incredible care, time and work you have put into providing this guidance for me. I am very moved and grateful by the amount you have put into it…. Your charity is amazing, and the hard work and time you put into it is invaluable and so helpful.
- Impressed“Impressed. Am now going to have a large cocktail, regardless of the eventual outcome.”
- It is hugely reassuring to have your expertise to call on“We were amazed by how quickly the letter was drafted and sent off. After all these years, I think some of us are now experiencing a form of PTSD whenever we have to deal with the CCG; it is hugely reassuring to have your expertise to call on.”
- You made me feel that my voice was important.I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the efforts you made on my behalf. There is, in my opinion, no one who could have analysed, synthesised and advocated as you did. You made me feel that my voice was important. Because of your help and the wonderful, unique service you provide, E and I would also like to add a codicil to our wills to include CASCAIDr.
- I’m so impressed with your service.“I’m so impressed with your service. It’s really helpful. I have written to the deputy asking for contractual decisions/clauses with the care company, and for any notice that Mum may have made about her wishes, about my involvement.”
- It’s not every day you come across such lovely people“I would like to bring to your attention how impressed I was with the professionalism delivered by PC today on the helpline. P was very attentive, informative, had an excellent manner and was friendly. It’s not every day you come across such lovely people and I was certainly impressed with the way P handled the call.”
- Thank you and M for all your incredible support“On behalf of my family, and my son, I want to take this opportunity to thank you and M for all your incredible support this year. Without your legal expertise and help, people like my son would end up being lost in the system.”
- You do a great job“I recommended you to a friend last week and it seems she’s already working with you. You do a great job, thank you.”
- You infected (at least!) ONE person with enough understanding of the law to want to go and get more“Just to say that you infected (at least!) ONE person with enough understanding of the law to want to go and get more, and to find new and interesting ways to apply it… I now acknowledge the many shades of grey within the law. I may not personally agree with them all, but knowing their existence and being able to spot them in play is worthwhile.”
- We have won our appeal against the CCG“I am writing to inform you we have won our appeal against the CCG and I am preparing documents today to reclaim our expenditure in the last few years. Many thanks for your help.”
- It was a complete victory!“Just to let you know it was complete victory! The council are paying the provider all of the amount they were demanding, and are requesting that that provider refunds ME some of what we paid in for E’s care. They are also starting the process of transferring him to another council for Ordinary Residence purposes. Thank you for all your work on this, I wouldn’t have got this result without it.”
- Belinda has been incredibly generous with advice“Belinda has been incredibly generous with advice to assist me in the appeal I’ve submitted against a CHC eligibility decision. She has given me more information for free than I’ve gained from different law firms I’ve instructed and my donation is a lot less than they would have cost me but hopefully it will go a little way to helping CASCAIDr continue.”
- You have genuinely been the only person who as helped me through a difficult period“Thanks, you have been very helpful and I will make a donation tomorrow. You have genuinely been the only person who as helped me through a difficult period with these matters. The money won’t just be for your help but it’s clear you have good values which is becoming so rare in society.”
- Life-saving advice“Life-saving advice – cannot thank you enough for all the support without which I would be serious ill Thank you” – Z
- CASCAIDr have provided me with invaluable support in constructing and articulating a case for consideration by Social Services“CASCAIDr have provided me with invaluable support in constructing and articulating a case for consideration by Social Services in a council which for a considerable period of years have not followed the law as laid down in the Care Act or used established protocols and procedures necessary to ensure that my son’s Care Assessment, Support Plan and Budget were appropriately aligned and consistently applied. This situation has resulted in the family needing to devote a significant amount of resource, time …
- It feels as though you are taking on the whole country single-handedly!Thank you B, It feels as though you are taking on the whole country single-handedly! God bless you
- Thank you for your help with my problem“A purposeful charity working in an area that can help people who need support in dealing with an organisation who has all the knowledge, I have a lot of respect for what you do and thank you for your help with my problem.”
- We need you more so than ever now“You are our only source of hope please keep going We need you more so than ever now I’m despairing at the shocking legislation yesterday”
- You are a bit like that Palliative Care consultant“You are a bit like that Palliative Care consultant, a small miracle (who phoned just now)! With your email, I don’t feel abandoned and on our/my own.”
- Thank you so much for your thoughts on our CHC predicament“Thank you so much for your thoughts on our CHC predicament. It was very detailed and was of great help. I used some of its content with the solicitor to prepare the document lodging our appeal against the CCG to have an independent NHS England review. I again thank you, the report helped me focus on the task and I have now a clear view on how we move forward even if the conclusion isn’t favourable.”
- Thanks so much, I’m most grateful for your attention to detail and guidance and support.“Just wanted to say thank you for everything. I got E a lawyer thanks all to you and things are getting a little easier after a nightmare few weeks. You really stood out on safeguarding across all professions I have talked to in my own career and last few weeks. You saved my sanity and probably E’s life. Thanks so much, I’m most grateful for your attention to detail and guidance and support.”
- We got the wheels turning and not without your helpSo it’s moving and something is happening; we got the wheels turning and not without your help. I’ll keep you posted, and I really liked the law firm you referred me to. I’m so grateful and you’ve inspired me to keep going, till she gets proper help.”
- [After achieving a CHC status for a client]The indicative budget they are offering seems really reasonable covering personal care, ASD mentoring, physio and support to access the community. It seems too good to be true!
- It’s down to you and you alone that I now have a fighting chance of ensuring justice prevails“It’s been a long, hard, stressful, anxious and frustrating time for us all. Without your professional knowledge and genuine human kindness due to the passion you have for helping and genuinely caring for people like me, we would of had no choice but to give up fighting, a long time ago. It’s down to you and you alone that I now have a fighting chance of ensuring justice prevails. I really hope our complaint is upheld by the LGSCO not …
- I am convinced of the need to make sure that CASCAIDr is out there holding Local Authorities to account“Please do not apologise for your request that we consider a donation.We’ve already agreed that we needed to do this in the light of your amazing support. Having heard you speak (which served to reconnect me as a social worker to stuff that I hadn’t realised I had lost sight of) I am convinced of the need to make sure that CASCAIDr is out there holding Local Authorities to account when the pressures of austerity tempt them to forget both the …
- You’ve given me the strength to put some commitment into sorting this out“Thank you so much for your detailed email. I’m going to write a letter to social services. You’ve given me the strength to put some commitment into sorting this out. Thank you so much for your very detailed long response. That must have taken so much of your time to do. I’m going to donate some money to your extremely vital legal organisation – for people such as myself you’re an affordable lifeline.”
- Thanks so much for your frank reply“Thanks so much for your frank reply. You are quite right that I could well have an axe to grind. I feel that I am keeping my sister’s best interests at heart and her husband is not; he has his own agenda – but how are you to know that, just because I say that’s how it is? I do appreciate how straight you are. It is all very sad. Of course I will make a donation. Your advice is …
- it made all the difference to have someone who was prepared to listen to us“When we sent the letter that CASCAIDr had put together, we did get a response from the Council. It helped to show them that the points we were making about R were valid, and made a case for R to attend the education trust for an additional two days. The council is now funding two days and R is funding a third. His day care place elsewhere on a Friday is also funded now. This arrangement is likely to continue …
it made all the difference to have someone who was prepared to listen to us Read More »
- I trust your knowledge and all this would not have been possible without your precious input“[After support with an LGO complaint about charging and disability related expenditure] Here is the wonderful result so far. It is still in draft and the final decision by Ombudsman will be published soon, but I could not wait to share the news with you. I trust your knowledge and all this would not have been possible without your precious input. I would like you to make it public through your charity It is important for other parents to understand the …
- There will certainly be a ripple effect across Social Work teams following the course“A small win (but with big individual impact) was when a Social Worker delegate decided not to close a case, which was what was going to happen before the course! The Social Worker has said that there is much more to explore and nuances that need to be considered – I think they meant fluctuating needs. There will certainly be a ripple effect across Social Work teams following the course. I think this will lead to more effective ways of …
There will certainly be a ripple effect across Social Work teams following the course Read More »
- We are eternally grateful for the knowledge that you have so eloquently imparted“What you deliver has a real impact on systems change (cultural change) – a difficult metric to measure sometimes. This also means it will have a direct impact on people’s lives (service users and professionals). It truly was an awesome three days of learning. As a city, we are eternally grateful for the knowledge that you have so eloquently imparted”
- Thanks for empowering us both“This is the time to get things sorted once and for all. I now feel I have the confidence and knowledge to discuss J’s rights with social care. Thanks for empowering us both.”
- I’m so grateful for your response it really does help to be put in the picture from a legal point of view.“I’m so grateful for your response it really does help to be put in the picture from a legal point of view. I absolutely see myself as fighting not just for myself but for other people that are struggling to make ends meet and not have this life destroy them physically and mentally.”
- CASCAIDr in my view has always been 100% responsive and I appreciate the clear but warm approach adopted“We have known Belinda Schwehr for a number of years and have always found her advice and that of CASCAIDr invaluable. The support and advice from CASCAIDr has been particularly useful for people in receipt of statutory funding (and their families) who find themselves in a situation where their statutory funding is in danger of being cut and where there is the potential for unlawful commissioning practise. The current political and economic climate is a tough one but CASCAIDr reminds …
- we were extremely pleased with the work and support of the charity“After nearly 18 months of trying to get Adult Social Care to communicate with us regarding my brothers direct payment we enlisted the help of CASCAIDr. The case, although complex, was settled without the need of legal proceedings and we were extremely pleased with the work and support of the charity.”
- If I had to use one word to express what Cascaidr does, it would be ‘reassure’“If I had to use one word to express what Cascaidr does, it would be ‘reassure’. Reassure one has not ‘lost the plot’ – the law is the law. Reassure one feeling (well, loads actually!) that the law is being ignored is justified. Reassure one can do something about it and with Cascaidr’s support, in the end, the law is the law.”
- I cannot recommend the Charity more highly“A county council attempted to reduce my learning disabled brother’s care package of five hours per day to three hours, without making a proper assessment of his needs, which had not changed for some years. CASCAIDr were fantastic in helping me draft letters with the relevant legal vocabulary, including references to the Care Act and some case law. Although I had some knowledge of the subject, it was very reassuring to have the specialist advice to underpin the fairly protracted …
- Thanks once again for taking to the time to review my question and for your detailed reply“Thank you for you very comprehensive reply. The heavily subjective nature of the CHC assessment process I find extremely frustrating. I’ve read a lot online about CHC in the last two years, but still I do not understand what constitutes the legal limit of Social Services! Your reply has helped confirm the government has succeeded in its aim to make the system opaque and to move what used to be NHS responsibilities to Social Services so that individuals can be …
- Many organisations are simply not interested. I thank you deeply for taking the time to respond in depth and after thought“Thank you so much for your extensive reply. It is much appreciated. There have been many charities I’ve contacted and many don’t want to know. My uncle is a complex case and different to many, as he does have mental capacity. Many organisations are simply not interested. I thank you deeply for taking the time to respond in depth and after thought.”
- I cannot give enough praise to CASCAIDr!“I cannot give enough praise to CASCAIDr! They took a very unjust situation and made it all better! We were handed an ultimatum to make a direct payment of £900.00 to a private ambulance firm or my father would not be discharged from hospital and transported to the waiting care home out of area. I had no real alternative options but also wished to minimise the stress on all concerned – particularly on my 97 year old father. We were …
- CASCAIDr reminds us all that the rights of the person are non-negotiable and that we must operate within the legal framework“The support and advice from CASCAIDr has been particularly useful for people in receipt of statutory funding (and their families) who find themselves in a situation cuts are hinted at, or excessive commissioning pressures are mounting. The current political and economic climate is a tough one but CASCAIDr reminds us all that the rights of the person are non-negotiable and that we must operate within the legal framework. CASCAIDr in my view has always been 100% responsive and I appreciate …
- Welfare concerns and choices others may think of as unwise: many thanks for your incredible dedication to responding!“Thank you for your advice about encouraging us to ensure that the council’s care planners and their care providers are aware of our adult daughter’s obvious inability to understand the consequences of SOME of her less desirable, apparent choices, We can see immediately how this advice serves our daughter’s needs and our responsibilities toward her. We should have asked this advice of you, years ago!!! It will definitely inform the heart of our discussions with the care provider later this week. Many thanks for your incredible …
- We had help over several months from CASCAIDr which was very supportive and helpful“We had help over several months from CASCAIDr which was very supportive and helpful in dealing with a reluctant social services council. With their help and expertise we got the support we were asking for – so we moved from no help to what we wanted. This has been a great relief and we appreciate the legal help we received from CASCAIDr. Their service was always prompt which we found re-assuring.”
- The Council agreed to comply with the Care Act!“I am very grateful for the support and advice given to me by CASCAIDr in my fight to keep a traditional bank account for my direct payment, when the Council tried to force me to have a prepaid card which was unsuitable for my needs. After what felt like a David vs Goliath battle, thanks to the support received from CASCAIDr, my local Council agreed to comply with the Care Act, allowing me to continue using a traditional bank account.”
- The learning for us as a council has been invaluable“As a Local Authority we want to get it right first time for our local citizens but in our improvement journey, this has not always happened, to both our – and some of our citizen’s disappointment. In one complex case CASCAIDr assisted us in our response to the LGO with their independent expertise. The learning for us as a council has been invaluable in its wider application to inform practice. We are grateful for the clarity and challenge CASCAIDr provided …
The learning for us as a council has been invaluable Read More »
- The intervention has improved our quality of life as a couple and as members of the community we live in“Our family moved on from utter despair to some hope, because of CASCAIDr. The council acted unlawfully and CASCAIDr made them change their minds. No one was prepared to listen until very fortunately for us we were introduced to this charity. Belinda was kind, selfless and expert in Adult Social Care law and her efficiency helped to keep a vulnerable wife with her husband, at home, and in the community. She secured us the means to let one sister help …
- It makes all the difference to know that CASCAIDr are there to help me navigate my way through the whole process“I am immensely grateful for all the help you have given me to try to secure a transparent, coherent, rational and lawful assessment of my daughter’s care needs. With your help we were absolutely delighted to be awarded compensation from the LA for previous botched assessments. It makes all the difference to know that CASCAIDr are there to help me navigate my way through the whole process – one that would otherwise be an absolute minefield!”
- CASCAIDr were great in providing help and ammunition to challenge the Council“Councils are very strapped for cash at present and often act illegally or unreasonably in trying to cut Direct Payment budgets. This happened in my daughter’s case. CASCAIDr were great in providing help and ammunition to challenge the Council. By the time I consulted CASCAIDr I had in fact already put the matter in the hands of solicitors and ultimately the threat of Judicial Review made the Council back down, but if the same situation arises again I will go …
CASCAIDr were great in providing help and ammunition to challenge the Council Read More »
- Our local LA intended to not only slash our daughter’s budget, but dictate how and who should manage the budget, with almost immediate effect…“Like many other parent carers, we cannot bear to think of what life would be like at present without your legal advice – our local LA intended to not only slash our daughter’s budget, but dictate how and who should manage the budget, with almost immediate effect. We wouldn’t have had the mental or physical strength to continue to battle with this form of power without CASCAIDr being by our side. We felt the LA culture ensured assessment meetings were as stressful as they …
- Local authorities WILL listen to you if you have CASCAIDr’s support and backing…“CASCAIDr has made me realise that you’re not alone out there, and that local authorities WILL listen to you if you have CASCAIDr’s support and backing. They have helped, and are continuing to help me, to find a suitable home for my brother. I feel so much more optimistic, and really appreciate the ongoing help in this matter.”
- Compensation for botched assessment overlooking carer’s unwillingness…“I am immensely grateful for all the help you have given me to try to secure a transparent, coherent, rational and lawful assessment of my daughter’s care needs. With your help we were absolutely delighted to be awarded compensation from the LA for previous botched assessments. It makes all the difference to know that CASCAIDr are there to help me navigate my way through the whole process – one that would otherwise be an absolute minefield!”
- Happy parent given the means to fight a 3x increase in her son’s chargesThank you, thank you so much for your detailed and clear guidance. I am extremely grateful for your revision and all the notes regarding my next homework; for now I thank you enormously
- What to Say If: you are told that you are not able to have a direct payment …A. Because we are not doing them at the moment / the process is just too complicated and it will take too long “I am sure that councils do not have the legal right to say that it just doesn’t suit them to give money out as a substitute for services. The Care Act says that if 4 conditions are met, you must give me a direct payment. So I will need your reasons, please, in writing, as to which …
What to Say If: you are told that you are not able to have a direct payment … Read More »
- What to Say If: you are told “You can HAVE a direct payment, but the size of your budget for your direct payment will be calculated based on the cost for which we could meet your needs if we were buying the services.”“…And if that’s not enough, well then, we guess that you’ll be withdrawing your request for a direct payment, yes? or else accepting the budget as less than you know is needed via a DP route, as a matter of your own choice…” Anyone thinking that this is the bit of the Self Help guide that applies to them, needs to go take a wet flannel and sit down and commit to reading what follows, two or three times, …
- CASCAIDr supports a client in crisis to challenge a hopelessly inadequate care package“Thank you once again for all your help – I don’t know what we would have done without you – thank you so very much. it really is appreciated.”
- A trainee social worker uses the law for her own Mum’s interests in getting out of ‘respite’ care to go back home“The support you have provided has been fantastic, regardless of the outcome. I do not believe I would have even been able to get this meeting arranged and I have learned so much.”
- The LGO is persuaded to change a draft report after a complex complaint…“Clearly [the LGO] has changed the report significantly as a result of the previous feedback. Looks pretty much like we have everything significant found in our favour. Thanks for all your help.”
- Advice to a provider who’s fallen off of a Framework…“Thank you so much for your advice/steer. We will consider the advice option below so that we can adopt it as a strategy going forward.”
- Our myth busting goes down well…“Thank you for the ASC Legal Myth-busting link. Very informative so far…”
- Charity supported to cope with demands from a CCG and LA for re-configuration“The meetings with the CCG and LA went well, and the fees are under renegotiation – they have accepted many of the proposals you suggested we put forward, and we are now down to discussing the last few points! So far so good…thanks for all your help!”
- What to Say If: you’re told that you aren’t eligible for a funded advocate under the Care ActPeople have a right to advocacy – independent funded advocacy – under the Care Act, if they have substantial difficulty with regard to the processes in the Act where councils are required to INVOLVE people before making a decision. So it’s not an absolute right, as such, but a right that flows from a professional judgement about someone’s cognitive impairment in relation to the purpose of the process – and only in a given context of a Care Act decision …
- What to Say IF: you’re told that you are not eligible for assessment…It’s almost impossible in England for a council to refuse to assess someone for adult services, without breaching public law duties. So if someone refuses you the chance to be assessed, this is what to say: I believe that the Care Act imposes a duty on councils to assess people’s needs if there is merely an appearance of need – not need that is bound to be or even possibly might be eligible, but an appearance of any need for …
What to Say IF: you’re told that you are not eligible for assessment… Read More »