since I last posted, the mess around us is getting less

I will loose my joib - and am to have a meeting with HRM on thursday - but have decided to hand in my notice rather than be sacked - actually the stress of that gone is immense I feel so much better

my application for an independent adjudication was turned down - as her place at school is secured and the process for a CSP is underway -I wonder what triggered that all to happen so suddenly ??????????

our lovely but very young ed psych left and we have a very experienced well respected one who is apparently the best - and she has worked hard and been very busy

CAMHS Intensive treatment service have started work with my DD and its going to be a long process - the psychiatrist ois coming to visit at home in regard to medication

I am now waiting to hear what the childrens reporter is going to do next - should hear in 2 weeks - but asa CAMHS tier 4 are involved, everyone at a meeting agrees my DD needs to be at home, she has been adopted by me for 7 years and to move her would be catastrophic - I feel safe in that respect

SS wont answer whether they will be involved with us or not and wont send me a copy of their report to the childrens reporter so I have applied for all their records about me under the data protecion act, then want mediation and records set straight

so I feel much better, my DD is more relaxed and a bit cheerier at times, even though she wont leave the house at all

Hi - well you have certainly been busy. I am not very aware of Scottish Laws but when your daughter is under CAMHS 4 why is the Childrens Reporter invloved- it's been agreed that she is better off home. I am sorry about your job, as i know only too well how juggling work and a SR is hard.

So glad on the whole things are looking brighter. Keep positng.

Sar xx

HI Jezabel,

So glad to hear things are moving forward. Sounds like your approach with school has helped. And sounds like this will ease the pressure on your daughter. Small steps will surely happen with this support.
All the best and let us know how you go.
Linda
PS. Sorry about your job. I know how that is - I have found it impossible to work outside home with SR.

SADLY THE CHILDRENS REPORTER became involved while we were in the very long wait for CAMHS to become involved - as at that point lots of people thought it was me not making her go to school.............

the letter sent to my daughter by the reporter made everything worse

That's awful. Makes you wonder what goes through their heads at times. Things are moving forward now so time to focus on today and tomorrow. Best wishes to you both x

Hi Jezebel - I was speaking to Equality and Human rights Commission a couple of weeks ago about our family's situation and was advised to ask council to make reasonable adjustment under part 6 of the Equality act (the reasonable adjustment in this case being for the Council to provide home tuition as in the short to medium term at the very least, it is likely to be the only way my son will be able to access education at all - if the council fails to act then they are likely to be seen as discriminating against a disabled person under the Act). the reason I am telling you this is that I also mentioned to the Commission that although in my area NO home tuition is provided, in other areas councils have stopped home tuition and have instead said that the tuition must take place in community centres. The commission were very interested in this as, also under the legislation, if a local authority makes a change (ie changing from home tuition to community centre based) then they have to justify it and prove that in making that change they are not discriminating against people who were benefiting from the system before the change but are now unable to benefit from it. That line may be worth pursuing if you and your daughter wish to attempt to access education via home tuition. As regards the childrens reporter, I sincerely hope that the CAMHS involvement will prevent further action from them - I know that when I spoke to my GP about concerns on that front, he told me that just like in a court of law, where a sheriff can't pass sentence without the necessary social/psychological/psychiatric etc reports, the children's reporter is unable to make rash decisions about residency either. Any rational person would be 100% behind you in that you are the best person to take care of your daughter - you could ask CAMHS to write a supporting letter to that effect for you, as a protective precautionary measure. I know how worrying it is though to have such fears hanging over your head, it's horrifying and unjustifiable, especially considering the double standards of the local authorities - on the one hand involving the childrens reporter like sr is the parents' fault, and on the other hand denying the sr children access to home tuition when education is a basic right for all children, and has to be made accessible by whatever means necessary. I'm really glad you are feeling like the pressure has lessened but I know from other parents who have visited me that the relief can be so complete that they do not continue to pursue the right to education. In fact it seems to me that the brute tactics the local authorities use when using the children's reporter as a threat, is a deliberate attempt to make sr families go away and stop being a nuisance when the relief hits that the reporter will not be making compulsory measures of care...

Jezebel I didn't realise independent adjudication could just be turned down - have you spoke to Govan Law Centre since? How frustrating for you - maybe there is another angle, but then again sometimes you just need to sit back and draw breath - I just had a few days when I didn't think I could ever summon the energy again to carry on, which was scary as the deadline for submitting my response is just days away; think I'm back on top of it now...

Andrea - We have all gone through the times when we think we can't do anymore and keep going on, then all of a sudden we just kick back our heals and off we go again, but no one knows just how draining it all is. It has been interesting to read the Scottish posts as they way things are dealt with in the North are different from down here. This time last year when i had the call regarding taking legal steps against me, and to be fair on our EWO she was very piggy in the middle said that if CAMHS stated my son was not well enough to be taught at school then that was all they needed. MY problem was our psycologist there had just left and we were assigned to a new lady - she was lovely but didn't know the history so i was very nervous about the report she needed to submit. When my copy finally arrived it stated the M would be more suited to being taught in small groups or on a one to one basis - school had said he could work alone in the inclusion room so as far as they were concerned were offering what what suggested. What they failed to see was that my son actually going through the school gates was the problem and everyone seeing him sitting on his own would case him huge problems. At the time i thought everything was over - that was it, but to be fair again on our EWO ( by this time we knew each other well ) she did read it as though he would be better off at a unit or home educated. She did think that i had been a little soft on my son - this i totally refute as i tried everything to get him to go to school, but in their defence they are used to dealing with truants.

Sorry for going on, need to get on now as i will never get any work done.

Sarx

Hi Andrea,

It takes a lot out of you, doesn't it. You have been fighting for some time - so not surprising it drags you down sometimes. Hang in there - you are really helping others and hopefully yourself at the same time.
Take care,
Linda