Let's not hold our breath waiting for a reply to this

Yesterday I wrote the email below to the Social Services in Lewisham.  We have been awaiting the outcome of their assessment that was undertaken on the 10 April.  We have still not had any comprehensive outcome but there was a single line email yesterday that said that she had recommended no action but that it would be her "manager's decision".  I have sent three emails over the last three weeks.  To date no replies to any of them.  

28 April 2015

Dear Mrs xxxxx [Lewisham Social Services officer who has been 'assessing' M]

I was copied into an email from you yesterday that seemed to be saying that Lewisham do not propose taking any action to meet M’s needs because she has “moved back with her father”.  This flies in the face of reality and need.

In response to this I think that we have to understand the following:

1                     M has not “moved back” with me.  I came to get her from London due to the widely recognized inappropriate continued placement of her in an Acute Psychiatric Ward (given that she has no Acute Psychiatric condition but presents as Learning Disabled with emotional and life skills issues).  My coming to get her and bring her to Cumbria was simply to get her away to a more appropriate setting than a hospital.  Neither myself, nor M, or her mother have stated that she is now living with me.  Given this clarity how has Lewisham concluded that she is no longer your responsibility?

2                     I emailed on 9 April and 14 April to seek reassurances that Lewisham would not drop her case if I were to come and get her away from hospital.  These emails went unanswered.  However I can not believe that Lewisham meant me to imply that I should leave her in hospital rather than offer her respite?  Was I wrong to draw this conclusion?

3                     At a meeting attended by myself, [her psychiatrist], [her mother], [her social worker] (for Lewisham SS) and [her then Community Psychiatric Nurse] in November it was agreed that due to M’s difficulties and her family circumstances that she would be joint managed by NHS and Social Services in Cumbria and Lewisham.  To my knowledge the two NHS Trusts have continued to honour this agreement and Cumbria Social Services have also done so.  Has Lewisham Social Services decided to withdraw this agreement? If so, please tell us all when this decision was taken and by whom and by what rationale.

4                     I understand that Lewisham and Maudsley NHS Trust were forced to ask that M’s case was raised at Directorate level between the Trust and Lewisham SS in order to obtain any intervention with regard to her care and support.  Please make available this correspondence. 

5                     I have been told by [social worker] (Cumbria Social Services) that she has had great difficulty in obtaining the assessment undertaken by you on 11 April and that verbally you have indicated that M is not Learning Disabled.  Given that M has had a long history of medical diagnosis of inhibited intellect and cognitive ability, Dyspraxia, Semantic Pragmatic Disorder, and various other needs and diagnosis since she was two years old, has been extensively supported by education authorities (including Lewisham during her Primary years) as needing 100% learning support through the “Statementing” process due to her Learning Disability and ultimately was placed in a residential school in West Sussex for 5 years by the local authority at a cost of £55k per annum, can you confirm that Lewisham SS now believes that she is not Learning Disabled and if so by what criteria this conclusion has been arrived at?

M continues to be extremely distressed and made anxious by the ongoing uncertainty being brought about by Lewisham Social Services.  This uncertainty is directly impacting on her health and well-being.  It also has a great impact on my ability to support her and help her to be happy and well.

This matter is clearly urgent and I would hope that I will receive a reply to this matter by return.

Yours




UPDATE: but lo, there was a reply....3 days later, this (just to be clear this is the reply in its entirety, I haven't edited it) -

Hi Mr xxxxx

M assessment was completed and sent to my Manager to authorise. M does have a needs. I am not sure what you are talking about because M does have learning needs.

Regards

Mrs xxxxxxx
Social Worker AWLD