OCD Action

swan
Member

I started this thread and it disappeared so not sure if it will appear anywhere.
I had a new social worker three months ago and initially he said it was ok to ring / email ect. He gave me his mobile but said I could only use it in extreme emergencies. Coulkd someone tell me what thta is because I dont know when its ok to use it so no matter how bad I feel I dont phone.
His plicy is that I shouldn't know when Im going to see him. I was supposed to see him Monday gone but got I phoned on Friday for him to tell me that he was cancelling my appoitment bvecause he had something else on. I sent an email to see if I was going to see him this money. However when I spoke to the person who is to be my social worker from September I (she is going to be away from the 19th July for a month)she told me that my social worker had arranged to see me at the end of July and come to the hospital with me. I am having hard time, his suggestion previously was for me to go on more medication, he seems to think its ok for me to be addicted to medication but not to be dependent to on appoitments. Im fed up with putting chemicals in my body but thats ok. My new social worker seems nice but it will be six weeks before she takes over and how do I know hat she is really like.

Fri Jul 9 2010 17:20:49 #
Truddles
Member

Hi swan,

I'm so sorry to hear that you're having such a hard time of it at the moment.

It's a tricky one, although he gave you his mobile number he obviously doesn't want you to use it does he? You should have been given an out of hours contact number to ring so that if you do need help or support out of hours you know who to ring. As you're feeling so bad at the moment you do need to contact the CMHT as they must have a crisis number. If not perhaps you should go to A&E where you should be able to access either the duty psychiatrist or a CPN. Don't feel that just because he's ignoring you that there is no one to turn to.

You are entitled to know when you're going to be seen by your social worker and if he has made an appointment to see you then he should keep that appointment. It's different if an emergency prevents them from attending but he couldn't possibly know on the friday that there was going to be an emergency the following monday If he does cancel an appointment he should arrange another and not just ignore you.

It is certainly not the place of a social worker to advise that you take more medication.

In the meantime there are plenty of us on the forum that you can talk to. You can always PM me if you need to talk.

Trudy

Fri Jul 9 2010 17:43:31 #
swan
Member

Hi
Thanks for reply i feel i need to go to a&e. But am going to ring my psychiatrist on Monday as my next hospital appoitment is supposed to be my CPA but my social worker is leaving at the end of july and next one doesn't start until beginning of September. Oh joy

Fri Jul 9 2010 18:21:25 #
Wombat140
Member

So you're not going to have any social worker during August? I think that must be against the rules. Is there anyone on your team who's prepared to make a bit of a fuss for you? Mind you, it sounds as if your current one won't be much of a loss, given that you never get to see him! I agree with Truddles - your medication isn't really the social worker's business anyway, and certainly not as an alternative to him doing his job!

Well, best of luck to you.
Wombat140

Fri Jul 9 2010 20:19:37 #
Truddles
Member

There is such a thing as continuity of care and unless you've been discharged from their care someone has to be responsible for your case until the new social worker starts in September. You're also supposed to see your social worker prior to your CPA to help you prepare for your CPA review.

Although my internet connection at the moment is intermittent, I will be around all weekend, I don't want you to feel that you're alone.

Trudy

Fri Jul 9 2010 20:38:04 #
swan
Member

Hi,
My new social worker has arranged fo me to be able to phone the teammanager throughout August. She emailed me last night as I had requested for my CPA not to take place until she had case responsibility for me, she has agreed but said that I need to speak with my present social worker. I had already decided that if I hadn't seen him prior to my CPA I was going to say that i didn't want it to be a cpa.
He is not all bad but as he is leaving he is tying up loose ends and people who needs his support take priority which makes me feel im wasting his time he has not said this.
I think he has sometimes forgotten that he has not told me he needs to cancel

Sat Jul 10 2010 6:09:34 #
Truddles
Member

Hi swan,

Your new social worker sounds as if she's ok.
I had a similar problem with CPA as I've just got a new care coordinator, but he changed the date so I had it with him and not the old one or would have to have had another as also have a new psychiatrist because of a CMHT reshuffle.

If he was doing his job properly there'd be very few loose ends to tie up and if you're in his care it means that you too need support. You shouldn't be made to feel that you're wasting their time when on occasion you need support. It's his keep cancelling appointments that's making you feel this way and it's wrong. Swan he's the one with the problem not you, you are entitled for him to keep to the arrangements and if he can't make it he shouldn't make you feel as if you're not a priority and he should definitely have rearranged.

I think he has sometimes forgotten that he has not told me he needs to cancel
no excuse, there's a marvellous invention called the written word and every action he performs is supposed to be documented. And if he's not near the computer then he should have a note book to put it in and then transfer as soon as crossing it off when he's completed each task or transferred it to computer.

Sorry to rant but it's bad practise not to document everything you've done

If you need to talk over the weekend you know where I am.

Sat Jul 10 2010 9:48:05 #