Letter 10 – Contesting Review of Support
To :xxx (social worker)
Xxx(social services team)
Xxx (address)
Re: Results of review of social care for xxx (name)
Xxx(date)
Dear xxx:
I have received a copy of my new support plan which you have drafted; unfortunately it is inadequate and will not meet my needs.
(If you explained what you needed during the review but it is not included in the support plan, give details). During the review on xx(date), I said clearly that I needed help with xxx. I am disappointed, therefore, that you did not take careful note of this and put this into my support plan. Please rewrite the support plan to reflect what was discussed at my review.
(If your care has been reduced from what it was before in any area). My last support plan gave me xxx of hours for my needs. This support plan gives me only xx of hours. However, my needs have not changed and my disability has not gotten any better. As well, I do not have extra informal support, so there is no way that I can make up the shortfall in support. You have not indicated any way that the lower numbers of hours can be used more efficiently so that my needs are met.
It is unlawful for you to cut my hours of care without telling me how this is going to meet my needs as before. Please reinstate my level of care as soon as possible.
Inadequate level of care (example)
I have been allocated one hour of support to do my laundry. However, as was carefully explained at the review, my medical conditions impact on my laundry needs. Specifically, (describe how medical condition impacts on laundry needs). You have told me that the council only give one hour of support for laundry a week for disabled people. However a ‘blanket policy such as this is illegal under the Wednesbury principles; you need to look at me as a person and assess how my disability impacts upon my life. Four hours per week with laundry would be more adequate in my case.
Impact of lack of care in current support plan (example)
The impact of the lack of care in my current care plan is shown in:
-The recent cockroach infestation of my kitchen due to lack of domestic support;
-The worsening of my skin condition because there is no time for the carer to put the medical cream on regularly.
-The very real risk is that I will have trouble keeping my staff due to the ‘burnout’ of them having to complete an unrealistic set of tasks during the time allocated.
Please redo the support plan so that it adequately meets my needs and so that xxx(council) fulfils their duty of care to me as per section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.
Please respond to this letter in writing by xxx (date). Please increase my support immediately by xxx hours per week to adequately meet my needs until my new support plan is developed.
Yours truly,
Xxx (name and address)