Family of austistic teenager wins £5k after council maladministration

“I have just received my apology from the Authority. This is my response.

"Dear Mr Bell,

I refer to your letter of 12 December.

I am pleased to receive a letter of apology from the Authority albeit six days after the publication of the report. I am somewhat disappointed however, that Councillor Mike Lawrence, didn't feel it was necessary to express the unreserved apology directly to the family instead of the family having to read the apology in the newspaper and listen to the local radio stations in order to hear a third party statement in which he makes an unreserved apology.

Sadly, your letter doesn't refer to my husband, Jamie's father. I must assume that although the letter is addressed to me and refers only to the way in which your services failed Jamie, you would wish to include Jamie's parents within that statement.

I look forward to spending the £314.10 on a swing bench for Jamie and will contact the Investigator for the Ombudsman to arrange for the Authority to install. I will use the £5250 that I have been compensated to reimburse myself of some of the fuel costs in order to continue my 60 mile a day journey to Leek. At least I am not carrying the burden of cost entirely now.

I am also happy to confirm that I have no choice other than to work with the Learning Disabilities Team, and that I too, hope that we can provide a positive and fulfilling future for Jamie. That has only ever been my wish and it is a shame that a family was taken to their limits of coping to pursue those goals. I hope to move on, be confident that changes will be implemented and that the Authority learn some lessons from this.

My experience of making a complaint has been harrowing. Without the Ombudsman's intervention I feel little would have changed. Even during the investigation, promises were being broken. Since the complaint has been published I have had need to query the safeguarding of data and to ask that sensitive information about my son is protected and Data Protection guidelines are adhered to.

I sincerely hope that I will not need the services of the Ombudsman again, but were that to be the case, I have been assured that publication of one report would not preclude the publication of another.

Yours sincerely,

Jacqueline Golightly"

Enough. :-)”

“Laura123- Hey, great that you have decided to dedicate your working life to young people who need specialist support. Good luck and happy Christmas :-)”

“kenjarr- wow Dad, thanks! Nice to know spending two years of my life huddled over this laptop has been worthwhile. See you soon, Jacx”

“It really angers me that the council are trying to merge Special schools with mainstream schools. Some children with Special needs just cant handle it. This is why im currently training to be a teacher for those with SEN so i can give children with various needs the best education and start to life x”

“As jamies grandad i wish to say how proud i am of my daughter jackie and her husband dave. jackie as stood up for all the parents of disabled, mentally impaired and challenged children. she took the fight to them and all though it is a victory for common sense it should have been avoided with forward planning and communication.

I have witnessed some of the stress and aggravation jamie received, but the stress and fatigue suffered by jackie and dave was tremendous. she especially has been to hell and back.

the compensation they have received is a pittance to what some have got for reasons far pettier than what this family has been through, i have had to listen to my daughter crying with frustration and anger, through people not listening. i thank god she is a strong eloquent respectable woman who as had the guts and strength to fight for what is jamies basic rights.

jamie was lovely mild natured child who has grown into a very strong adult with the childs mind but the adults strength and sometimes temper. he needs special care and love and jackie as provided this in abundance, to the point she as sacrificed job prospects. all through jamies life she has worked albeit part time. there is no way jackie would have jamie in permanent care but it was an option, how much would that have cost.”

“Hi sparke. :-) Thank you for your comment. I agree entirely. In its wisdom the Council feel ready to "modernise" the day centre model and freeze referrals to them on the grounds of "choice". Fine, if nobody wants this type of provision; but crikey, the noise from anxious parents and carers must be getting heard in the ivory towers of Headquarters by now. I know of local initiatives, some heavily supported by the Council who offer limited opportunities to people within Newcastle. Sorry, but my son couldn't handle a couple of hours of arts and crafts in a community centre once a week. And neither should the local supermarkets have their restaurants packed out with the disabled and their personal assistants trying to while away a few hours with a lukewarm coffee. Apologies again, sparke- you've hit a nerve. Hands up those who want to keep the day centres open- meeeeee! Have a happy Christmas and thankyou. X”

“Hey, strandedhere. Thankyou for your honesty. Sounds like you have struggled. Can only offer a virtual hug and a wish for you and your family to have some certainty and peace of mind for the future. I think there is little point in complaining unless the true motive for doing so is to seek improvement and better practice. Sometimes, that requires a great deal of patience and a willingness to move on. I'm ready to do that, for sure. However, my stance hasn't changed at all. Choice should be just that...choice. I can't trust the people on the letterheads if they just won't listen. Take care, hey? Jacquiex”

“Apologies for the typos in the previous post.The light in here is abominable!
A quick warning to parents/carers.It's easier said than done,but if you need to challenge social services,try to get publicity first.Otherwise,they can issue a care order which acts as a sort of super-injunction against your issue being publicised.In the worst-case scenario,you they can remove you loved one from home without anyone,apart from yourself,allowed to know what's going on.
Obviously,that won't happen in the present case,but it has happened in others.If you ask around you can discover that Stoke council has famously been granted leave to prevent one parent from contacting their MP,albeit temporarily.
That's why we need mutual support,so that we can speak for everyone who's been mistreated.”

“As a parent it is so difficult to see your child struggle with a situation she or he has no control over. If your child is disabled then the challenges they may encounter can be more traumatic for them and for you as their parent and protector.
Trying to locate suitable educational or charitable organisations that can deliver all that your child needs is really tough. Although there are such establisments and organisations out there, they sometimes lose track as to why they were given funding in the first place. Disabled youngsters need their individual skills nurtured in a positive way, not just to be classed as all the same. Hence one activity works for all etthos, because IT DOESNT !!!!!!.
Well done to to YOU jamies parents for never making do, and for fighting against the faceless ones who determine the future of our children.
Hoping that Jamie can be in an environment that nurtures him in a loving and positive way so that his future is indeed bright with posibilities.”

“Jacquie,
Funny you should mention transport problems.Yesterday,once again,my autistic son was taken to the wrong address,from school.I've had the social worker's ;personal assurance' over the last year that despite his not being provided with an escort,he's safe because he's with a set of drivers who are hand picked.Oh year.The firt to arrive,last September said "Don't he speak,mate? Where am I takin' 'im?'
I tried to get my sons out of Kemball for 5 years because-at best-it was doing them no good.Every time I got over-ruled by the social worker who started talking in 2010 about 'repairing the harm' that had been done.
OK,I said 'protest',but let's add 'support'.
I helped set up two groups a few years back for the parents/carers of learning disabled children/adults.I was removed as vice-chairmed by an un-minuted meeting,in my absence so I might not be the most objective person to comment.At the last meeting I attended I questioned a speaker from Stoke council about general financial support for carers.The chairwoman and the remaining 6 carers agreed to exclude me from the meeting for asking a disruptive question.
This is Stoke,mind you,where there's a tradition of being servile.Social services have reported me-honestly-for 'lacking deference'!
You've managed to get publicity and sympathy,and I think that's tremendous.Your failure to get an apology suggests that your council is as bad as Stoke's,which I thought impossible.
If only all local parents could work together,rather than having to fight individually.
We haven't got a union.This is the figure I use for comparison about payouts.A few years back a teacher was awarded 333,000 after an irate parent wagged a finger at her and said 'You want bloody shooting,you do'.British soldiers don't get that level of compensation.”