Personal Budget SS?

[MaryB]

Can someone tell me if there is any time limit on how long SS can take to inform me what has been agreed re personal budget? My son transitioned from school July 2015, he was refused all places for day care bar one.
The one he had failed as they couldn't manage his very high needs and challenges. They are now dragging their heels over a decision of how much PA support we can have, there is no overnight respite available as all have refused. I urgently need to know how many people and what hours I can have.
TIA

[bowlingbun]

Ring the Complaints Department at SSD HQ, not the local office, and ask them for a copy of their latest "Needs Assessment" for your son, together with his "Mental Capacity Assessment" and your "Carers Assessment". (Should all be updated regularly, usually annually. I have a sneaky feeling they haven't done them properly, if at all!). Asssessments should be completed in 6 weeks or less according to the Ombudsman.

[MaryB]

He had the assement done over 8 months ago while he was still in school, what we are waiting for is something in writing saying what they are prepared to agree regarding personal budget. They have been letting us use the unspent funds from last year which are now almost depleted so I won't be able to pay people.
I was told verbally by the care co-ordinator to employ PA's but there won't be enough to pay them all now on the funds coming in from what was, at the time just a few hours PA respite at the weekend as he was in school through the week, he is now at home full time. So in a nutshell I've employed people on the verbal agreement that hadn't actually gone to panel, they may not agree in writing which will mean I will have to lay people off that have just been employed! No provider will offer a place due to his very high needs so I guess they will expect me to manage with minimum support if the panel don't agree with the CC's assessment. I need to know though and can't understand why they are keeping me in limbo.

[bowlingbun]

As I understand it, the final part of the assessment is a calculation of how much care is needed and what it will cost. Maybe ring or email the Carers UK helpline for detailed information?

[MaryB]

Yes, thanks for that, I will ring the help line but I guess the issue is that whatever the assessment says the panel have to agree it and it seems from my discussion with the CC that it's not a given that they will agree, wish I'd known that from the outset so I wouldn't have employed people. Maybe it's because the CC made an assumption that there would be a place somewhere for day care despite my warnings that there wouldn't be, but what do I know?