Hi Melly! Yes I do think my lovely one and S sound very similar, I think quite a number of them have this need for balance. My son needs to be mentally stimulated in an environment that’s calm from a sensory point of view. That’s the bit that only seems to happen at home; group things often involve him spending a lot of time hanging about waiting for his turn or having to do some activities (or aspects of them) that he doesn’t like, in an environment that’s challenging for him, simply because other people are there. So he can do a group thing but even if he really enjoys it, he still needs plenty of downtime afterwards. It’s simple, isn’t it? So why don’t other people get it? I hope you’re well and that you have a lovely Christmas xx
I’m sorry, BB, I think Christmas can be so hard when you’re missing someone. Especially when you’re doing your best to make it nice for everyone else, it’s a tough time of year xx
Well I understand what you mean about finding it depressing Penny but someone getting lost on their way to do travel training had me roaring 
Where do they find these people? Honestly there seems to be a real lack of common sense now. I’m still laughing though
Oh BB I think you should turn up on the steam roller! You’ll do a cracking job, I’d love to be a fly on the wall
MWC, I used to steer the roller on the road, as husband drove, i.e. he had the controls for keeping the water in the boiler, going faster or slower, and putting the coal on the fire. When the boys were born, I steered on the road with a baby in a baby sling on my front. Before he could speak, M could drive a scale model engine when just 4 years old! We didn’t tell him what to do, he just knew from being on the roller. When a bit larger, they sat on a seat in the coal tender. We towed our Land Rover so that when we arrived at our destination, we just unhitched it to come home. If they were tired, the boys sat in the Land Rover watching us, or as babies, slept in their pram top on the seat. The drawbar was sprung, which gave a rocking motion. Often they’d sleep a lot, which meant when we got home we were dog tired, and they were ready to play!!!
That sounds so lovely, I love those early memories Isn’t it amazing that there are things they can just do instinctively. I bet you have loads of great pictures from that time, I love going through the old baby photos, it all felt a lot easier back then xx
Photos cost so much to develop in those days, we very few pictures I’m afraid.
Hi everybody
First of all, an apology, because I only seem to come on here to moan these days - sorry!
Just an update really, although wanted to say first off that Penny, I do keep telling people about the woman who got lost coming out to do travel training with your D I don’t mention your name obviously but it made me laugh so much, honestly, what an idiot No-one really believes me lol.
Anyway, I complained to the local authority about the situation and got the usual fob off which is normal. I complained to the Ombudsman here in Scotland, my word, I’ve known nothing like it. I won’t bore you with the details but I’ve ended up sending in a 12 page letter detailing all the contradictions and omissions in the Ombudsman’s response, as per their own complaint process to make a complaint to the Ombudsman about the Ombudsman. The woman the complaint is about has written to me asking me to give my reasons for requesting a review of the decision outside of their six week guideline. I haven’t asked for a review of the decision, I’ve made a complaint about their handling of my complaint! Complaint and review are different words! They mean different things! If I’d wanted a review I’d have asked for a review! It’s a complaint! That’s why it says complaint!! My lord. I’ve emailed in explaining that the words are different and mean different things. Seriously, the public sector seem to be a whole other level of stupid now. Is it just me??
Anyway, I think we will be moving back to England. Far from perfect and I love Scotland, the people we’ve met have been so lovely and the landscape, history, culture, I’ve always wanted to be here, it was like a dream come true for us. But the disability stuff is like another century. When I’ve complained to the Ombudsman in England before they’ve at least got on with what needs to be done. This lot are unbelievable. I don’t get how they do everything so badly? Where do they find these people? How do they even get out of the house in the morning? Lol. I think we’ll need to move to a city; neither of us like the noise and then of course you’ve got crime, traffic, parking, urgh, there’s so much I don’t like. But Mr Lovely needs a good range of groups and activities, he’s keen to be out and about as much as possible and it’s clear it’s going to be running him around so I’m on the lookout for somewhere with a good range of stuff to do over a reasonably small area so that I’m not constantly driving. Ridiculous how difficult it is to do things that other people don’t even need to think about.
Anyway, sorry to not have anything more positive to report, I keep thinking things will get better but people honestly seem to be incapable of doing anything anymore.
It’s never been worse down here too. I’ve been ill again recently, in or on bed most of last month. The system is truly broken. Last month after I asked when they I was going to have my Carers Assessment, requested over a year ago, a very hostile woman rang me to say I wasn’t going to have any more as I wasn’t a carer any more. So I immediately made a formal complaint, listing all the things I’d done recently!
BB, that’s horrendous! What is going on, do you think? I know they keep saying funding, staff shortages etc but they must spend a fortune dealing with all the complaints and crisis situations that come up when procedures aren’t followed. The thing that baffles me is how willing the staff involved are to work towards dismantling the very support systems they may need in the future. I don’t imagine many of them are earning enough to pay for private health care and to put thousands away in case they need support when they’re older. So what do they think is going to happen? It’s such an odd situation. I’m sorry you’ve had that going on, it’s a real kick in the teeth when they disregard what you do so readily xx
All I have ever asked for is what the Care Act says. Sometimes I wonder if they’ve ever read it! I’ve been under instruction not to care for anyone ever again for over 20 years, but the harder I try to achieve this the harder it gets. There was a steam railway gala near his home, I said be sure not to miss it, so they took him to an event 50 miles away instead.
Hi @MumWhoCares lovely to hear from you, will reply properly later in the week. Been a long day (work day) and still have chores to do.
BB, yes, exactly this, all I’ve ever asked anyone to do is follow the appropriate procedures and write a factually accurate report. I don’t expect a miracle and I don’t expect someone to sweep in and do exactly what I do and never put a foot wrong, but a basic bit of common sense and reality based thinking would be useful and we don’t seem to get that. Why did they take him to something so far away from home? That makes no sense. I don’t know what the answer is. No-one makes anyone do what they’re supposed to do and even if you’ve got a bit of money it vanishes very quickly as soon as you start paying for carers yourself. I feel that they expect us to all turn in to vampires so we can live forever and carry on doing everything xx
I hope all is well with you and S, Melly, hopefully a bit of sunshine has come your way Although here it’s brought hayfever as well, I never seem to stop sniffling lol xx