Trials and tribulations of dealing with Social Services!
Hi everyone,
Yet another long time since my last blog, but hope my readers are all well.
I have been busy trying to sort out care for my 20 year old son, who has Down's syndrome.
If you have, or know somebody who has a child (or adult) with a learning disability and leaving school/college/day centre soon - start your battle now!
Everybody is saying that disabled people have a right to live in the community and enjoy everything else that we all take for granted. Day centres are closing down and people are being given Direct Payments and Independent Living Fund to "buy" their own care, to enable them to do such things.
In principle that is fine - but my god, what a battle to get the funds! To get the Social Worker in the first place was one hell of a battle in our case. According to the Care Manager in our area, my son was not entitled to a Social Worker as he did not need one. Oh yeah? I don't think so "Matey" as you can't get the funding without a Social Worker!
To cut a very very long story short, 18 months before my son left the local Special School, following his annual review the school wrote to Social Services to get "things" put in place before he was to leave. Since then, my son left school and has just completed his SECOND year at College and we are only now getting things in place for him - that's just to give you an idea of the time scale I have been fighting this battle!!!
In January 2008 I had to take the steps of advising Social Services I was going to go to the Local Government Ombudsman, due to the fact we had to fight to get a Social Worker ............ that was followed by a week of Social Services bending over backwards to try and help me. How sad is that, why not just help in the first place!
On the 22nd January 2008, we had a meeting with the person in charge at Social Services and wo and behold, at the meeting we were introduced to our Social Worker. We decided not to take the case to the Ombudsman as we felt we were now getting somewhere.
Here I am today, 19th June 2009 and had a phone call today to advise me that the Direct Payments funding would be in the account next week - AT LAST!
All this time, with lies and excuses from admin staff in various departments who take us all for fools!
I would just like to mention here that the Social Worker assigned to my Son has been absolutely fantastic! So too have the people coming face to face with my son and getting together the care plans etc. I won't give their full names to protect their privacy, but Jo, Chris, Sue and Kate you are worth your weight in gold - too many bloody chiefs and not enough indians at Social Services is the problem.
My son will now be able to enjoy going out into the community (without his boring parents taking him) and enjoy a social life!
If you do know of a person who will be affected by the closure of Day Centres or leaving school soon, please tell their parent/guardian/carer NOT to be fobbed off at the first hurdle - fight, fight and keeping fighting for their childs rights. If not, there will be nothing in the community for them and they will just vegetate at home in front of the t.v.!
Sorry to bore you with the problems I have had (believe me, that is just a short abbreviation - if you only knew the rest!) but I feel people need to know.
Take care until my next blog!
Kathryn
x
Friday, 19 June 2009
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
It's been so long....
Hi Everyone,
Gosh, it has been quite a while since I updated my blog!
Well, since I last wrote I have made a major purchase (for me anyway). I got fed up pressing all of the linen for our holiday let at Rosia Cottage as it took about two to three days to get it all washed, dried and pressed. So, I have invested in a steam roller press and it is worth it's weight in gold! Yesterday I cleaned the cottage, washed all of the linen and had it dried and pressed by 5 p.m. - Time is money as they say, so instead of finishing the laundry today/tomorrow, I can now list new items on our website Trewhellows Gift Shop (provided they are delivered today!).
So much time on my hands, so why have I not been blogging more?
Chickens! Eggs and even more eggs, that's why!!
The last time I twittered, I said that the hen house had arrived - flat packed and ready to build.
Well, I had the hen house as a birthday present (my request!) It was bought on e-bay - good place to buy.
Clive and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary in the usual romantic style - we bought 12 young chickens on the 31st March - ok, not romantic but far more practical than 12 red roses and they will last much longer (provided Mr Foxy does not decide to eat them). They were 17 weeks old when we got them and they started to lay exactly two weeks after.
We had our first egg on 14th April. Since then, we averaged about 10 eggs a day - until this week that is! Now they are laying around 12 eggs per day.
What to do with so many eggs! Because the hens are running around the field eating worms and fed corn, the eggs are well and truly FREE RANGE! Delicious, almost orange yolks - so we have no problem selling them! But I don't sell them all - believe it or not, I have been baking!
I am getting quite domesticated in my old age - all this pressing laundry and baking my own bread, cakes and desserts. What ever next? Dusting and vacuuming maybe??? (No, don't think so ;-0 ).
Poor Clive in all this excitement has been rushed off his feet - repairing the chicken shed every 5 minutes. Just don't mention the word GOATS to him.
Last night was a bit like a scene from Fawlty Towers - Basil would have been proud of Clive!
Probably best I start at the beginning. The chickens are kept in the same field as the goats (mistake number one!). As they seem to be rather partial to chewing a bit of wood, the first thing we did when the chicken shed was assembled, was to give it a good coating of creosote.
Once this was finished we thought it safe enough to eat our tea. How wrong could we have been!
Next thing to do - cover the outside of the shed with wire fencing - that will keep their little gnashers away from the wood (what was left of it!). Ha! That bit worked!
Once the chickens had settled, we wanted them to roam the field - but how do we keep the door open and keep the goats out? - Erect yet another little bit of fencing with a hole in, of course.
Initially we tied it up with string - hmm, who ever thought that a goat would leave that alone?
No sooner we had put it up and left them alone - Twix, Twirl and Polo ate the string and got in the hen run.
Wire was the next solution. Well, that lasted a bit longer, but it didn't take the goats too long to work out how to break that down too.
Last week they managed to get in and tried to walk up the ramp - sorry goats, it was designed to take the weight of chickens not goats, so it broke into pieces. Clive was not too impressed at having to repair it - especially when they got in for the 2nd time that day and broke it again.
For obvious reasons, I can't write down the words that he used - but I will leave it to your imaginations the *blue* words used!
Well, to get to the point - Clive *Basil Fawlty* Richardson was not a happy man yesterday! He had spent quite a lot of the day repairing little bits - like the door to the house etc. After tea he decided to go up and clean then house out, but he was not gone long before he came marching back............."advertise those *******goats! They have got to *****go!"
I don't think I need to tell you really - but they had broken down the fence again - according to Clive, they had totally wrecked the hen house this time. *arms flapping, pacing up and down*.
Unfortunately for Clive - the word *sympathy* is not part of my vocabulary and it was all I could do to contain myself - until that is, Clive said in a stroppy voice "DON'T LAUGH AT ME" - well, that did it! I had to walk away as I could only giggle and make the matter far worse!
Well, I think I have probably bored you long enough, so will say goodbye for now...........
Kathryn
x
Gosh, it has been quite a while since I updated my blog!
Well, since I last wrote I have made a major purchase (for me anyway). I got fed up pressing all of the linen for our holiday let at Rosia Cottage as it took about two to three days to get it all washed, dried and pressed. So, I have invested in a steam roller press and it is worth it's weight in gold! Yesterday I cleaned the cottage, washed all of the linen and had it dried and pressed by 5 p.m. - Time is money as they say, so instead of finishing the laundry today/tomorrow, I can now list new items on our website Trewhellows Gift Shop (provided they are delivered today!).
So much time on my hands, so why have I not been blogging more?
Chickens! Eggs and even more eggs, that's why!!
The last time I twittered, I said that the hen house had arrived - flat packed and ready to build.
Well, I had the hen house as a birthday present (my request!) It was bought on e-bay - good place to buy.
Clive and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary in the usual romantic style - we bought 12 young chickens on the 31st March - ok, not romantic but far more practical than 12 red roses and they will last much longer (provided Mr Foxy does not decide to eat them). They were 17 weeks old when we got them and they started to lay exactly two weeks after.
We had our first egg on 14th April. Since then, we averaged about 10 eggs a day - until this week that is! Now they are laying around 12 eggs per day.
What to do with so many eggs! Because the hens are running around the field eating worms and fed corn, the eggs are well and truly FREE RANGE! Delicious, almost orange yolks - so we have no problem selling them! But I don't sell them all - believe it or not, I have been baking!
I am getting quite domesticated in my old age - all this pressing laundry and baking my own bread, cakes and desserts. What ever next? Dusting and vacuuming maybe??? (No, don't think so ;-0 ).
Poor Clive in all this excitement has been rushed off his feet - repairing the chicken shed every 5 minutes. Just don't mention the word GOATS to him.
Last night was a bit like a scene from Fawlty Towers - Basil would have been proud of Clive!
Probably best I start at the beginning. The chickens are kept in the same field as the goats (mistake number one!). As they seem to be rather partial to chewing a bit of wood, the first thing we did when the chicken shed was assembled, was to give it a good coating of creosote.
Once this was finished we thought it safe enough to eat our tea. How wrong could we have been!
Next thing to do - cover the outside of the shed with wire fencing - that will keep their little gnashers away from the wood (what was left of it!). Ha! That bit worked!
Once the chickens had settled, we wanted them to roam the field - but how do we keep the door open and keep the goats out? - Erect yet another little bit of fencing with a hole in, of course.
Initially we tied it up with string - hmm, who ever thought that a goat would leave that alone?
No sooner we had put it up and left them alone - Twix, Twirl and Polo ate the string and got in the hen run.
Wire was the next solution. Well, that lasted a bit longer, but it didn't take the goats too long to work out how to break that down too.
Last week they managed to get in and tried to walk up the ramp - sorry goats, it was designed to take the weight of chickens not goats, so it broke into pieces. Clive was not too impressed at having to repair it - especially when they got in for the 2nd time that day and broke it again.
For obvious reasons, I can't write down the words that he used - but I will leave it to your imaginations the *blue* words used!
Well, to get to the point - Clive *Basil Fawlty* Richardson was not a happy man yesterday! He had spent quite a lot of the day repairing little bits - like the door to the house etc. After tea he decided to go up and clean then house out, but he was not gone long before he came marching back............."advertise those *******goats! They have got to *****go!"
I don't think I need to tell you really - but they had broken down the fence again - according to Clive, they had totally wrecked the hen house this time. *arms flapping, pacing up and down*.
Unfortunately for Clive - the word *sympathy* is not part of my vocabulary and it was all I could do to contain myself - until that is, Clive said in a stroppy voice "DON'T LAUGH AT ME" - well, that did it! I had to walk away as I could only giggle and make the matter far worse!
Well, I think I have probably bored you long enough, so will say goodbye for now...........
Kathryn
x
Friday, 6 March 2009
Internet Access now available at Rosia Cottage...at last!
At last we have internet access at Rosia Cottage Holidays!
We have strived to make sure Rosia Cottage has absolutley everything you will need for a luxury self catering holiday in Cornwall.
The furniture, decor, surroundings even down to a fully equipped kitchen (I mean fully, there is even a rolling pin and pastry cutters in case you fancy baking while on holiday) have all been given considerate thought.
As the cottage was gutted and totally refurbished in 2007, we had a clean slate to start with. Everything had to be bought, so we imagined we were going to live there and went from there. That way we could make sure it would be the best place to go on holiday.
Have you ever been on a self catering holiday and the accommodation was basic? Uncomfortable beds, cheap bedding and towels.........hard three piece suite.........everything fitted out as cheaply as possible as it was "just a holiday let".
We have! We also didn't want our guests to feel the same, after all you have paid good hard earned money to buy your holiday, so why should it not be like a "home from home"?
To start with the beds - they all have memory foam mattress to ensure a good nights sleep. The bedding is also good quality Egyptian Cotton.
To the bathroom - a whirlpool bath! But if you prefer showers, there is a separate shower room.
Both have a w.c. and hand basin. The towels? Good quality, heavy, thick sumptuous cotton!
Talking of towels, the majority of holiday lets that do provide the linen always state NOT beach towels. When you have a family of 5 or 6, the beach towels take up the majority of a suit case.
so we DO provide beach towels - even the buckets, spades and windbreak!
I could go on and on about the cottage, after all I do love it there myself. But, the only thing I felt was missing was Internet Access, so we have resolved that by buying a Vodafone USB Dongle. We do charge a fee of £30, but it is refundable upon return of the Dongle before you leave. The Dongle is a Pay As You Go, so you would have to top it up before use and Vodafone charge £15 for 1GB use. Oh, you would also have to bring your own Laptop/Netbook.
The only thing we could not change about the Cottage was it's location - I'm afraid we are not on the beach, but just outside the town of Camborne. This however has got it's big advantages as if you stayed in one of the seaside towns, the traffice in and out during the summer months can be a nightmare - being in Camborne you are conveniently situated to visit any part of Cornwall. We are also situated in a quite area as there are just four properities in the immediate area, so if you want to relax in the garden you will not be overlooked by a person - only our three Pygmy Goats!
We still have plenty of availability, so why not book your holiday now? It has been said that we are in for a very hot summer this year, so why not take your vacation in Cornwall!
Check our website www.rosiacottageholidays.co.uk for up to date availability or phone Kathryn on 01209 711012.
Thanks for reading folks!
Kathryn
We have strived to make sure Rosia Cottage has absolutley everything you will need for a luxury self catering holiday in Cornwall.
The furniture, decor, surroundings even down to a fully equipped kitchen (I mean fully, there is even a rolling pin and pastry cutters in case you fancy baking while on holiday) have all been given considerate thought.
As the cottage was gutted and totally refurbished in 2007, we had a clean slate to start with. Everything had to be bought, so we imagined we were going to live there and went from there. That way we could make sure it would be the best place to go on holiday.
Have you ever been on a self catering holiday and the accommodation was basic? Uncomfortable beds, cheap bedding and towels.........hard three piece suite.........everything fitted out as cheaply as possible as it was "just a holiday let".
We have! We also didn't want our guests to feel the same, after all you have paid good hard earned money to buy your holiday, so why should it not be like a "home from home"?
To start with the beds - they all have memory foam mattress to ensure a good nights sleep. The bedding is also good quality Egyptian Cotton.
To the bathroom - a whirlpool bath! But if you prefer showers, there is a separate shower room.
Both have a w.c. and hand basin. The towels? Good quality, heavy, thick sumptuous cotton!
Talking of towels, the majority of holiday lets that do provide the linen always state NOT beach towels. When you have a family of 5 or 6, the beach towels take up the majority of a suit case.
so we DO provide beach towels - even the buckets, spades and windbreak!
I could go on and on about the cottage, after all I do love it there myself. But, the only thing I felt was missing was Internet Access, so we have resolved that by buying a Vodafone USB Dongle. We do charge a fee of £30, but it is refundable upon return of the Dongle before you leave. The Dongle is a Pay As You Go, so you would have to top it up before use and Vodafone charge £15 for 1GB use. Oh, you would also have to bring your own Laptop/Netbook.
The only thing we could not change about the Cottage was it's location - I'm afraid we are not on the beach, but just outside the town of Camborne. This however has got it's big advantages as if you stayed in one of the seaside towns, the traffice in and out during the summer months can be a nightmare - being in Camborne you are conveniently situated to visit any part of Cornwall. We are also situated in a quite area as there are just four properities in the immediate area, so if you want to relax in the garden you will not be overlooked by a person - only our three Pygmy Goats!
We still have plenty of availability, so why not book your holiday now? It has been said that we are in for a very hot summer this year, so why not take your vacation in Cornwall!
Check our website www.rosiacottageholidays.co.uk for up to date availability or phone Kathryn on 01209 711012.
Thanks for reading folks!
Kathryn
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Makaton Nursery Rhymes DVD...........
Hi everyone,
I just thought I would quickly blog to let people know that we have at long last got a supply of Makaton Nursery Rhymes DVD in our shop
We have sold the Makaton Nursery Rhymes for many years now - back in the old days when it was VHS video and ever since it was released on DVD. Most of the sales are from our e-bay shop: Trewhellows Gift Shop Unfortunately, a few DVD wholesalers went out of business last year and early this year, so obtaining the DVD was getting hard.
The good new is, not only have we managed to find a new supplier, but they are cheaper than before so we are passing this saving on to our customers and now sell them for £9.99 with FREE P&P to the U.K.
Why am I so excited about selling one particular DVD?
Well, our eldest child was born with Down's Syndrome and Makaton Sign Language has been invaluable to him all through his life - he is nearly 20 now. It has been a means of communication for him as his speech is very poor.
The DVD with Dave Benson Phillips from the BBC Playdays, has taught all of us in our family how to use Makaton - and it was a brilliant way to entertain the children when they were younger.
I can put my hand on my heart and recommend this DVD to anybody with a child with learning disabilities, language delays or hearing problems.
I just thought I would quickly blog to let people know that we have at long last got a supply of Makaton Nursery Rhymes DVD in our shop
We have sold the Makaton Nursery Rhymes for many years now - back in the old days when it was VHS video and ever since it was released on DVD. Most of the sales are from our e-bay shop: Trewhellows Gift Shop Unfortunately, a few DVD wholesalers went out of business last year and early this year, so obtaining the DVD was getting hard.
The good new is, not only have we managed to find a new supplier, but they are cheaper than before so we are passing this saving on to our customers and now sell them for £9.99 with FREE P&P to the U.K.
Why am I so excited about selling one particular DVD?
Well, our eldest child was born with Down's Syndrome and Makaton Sign Language has been invaluable to him all through his life - he is nearly 20 now. It has been a means of communication for him as his speech is very poor.
The DVD with Dave Benson Phillips from the BBC Playdays, has taught all of us in our family how to use Makaton - and it was a brilliant way to entertain the children when they were younger.
I can put my hand on my heart and recommend this DVD to anybody with a child with learning disabilities, language delays or hearing problems.
Best wishes,
Kathryn
x
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Hot topic...SNOW...(or should I say "cold" topic!)
Hi everyone!
I do hope you all enjoyed the snow! I only put my toes out in it to go and see my Mum and make sure she was ok - but I thought it was beautiful to look at.
My children enjoyed it too. My youngest, Sarah (who will be 15 on Saturday) can't really remember snow like it. Any little bit we have had in Cornwall in the past has always melted by lunchtime, so she made the most of it Monday evening and yesterday.
Why do people always have to moan so much when the Country comes to a stand still? Why don't they just lighten up a little and make the most of it!!! One old man was going on about it being like a third world country - miserable old bugger! I would be far more annoyed if Cornwall County Council spent millions on specialist equipment for an event that only happens every 20 years!
I was going to put some photos here - some spooky ones too!!! But, I have just had a phone call and I have to do some work (for a change!!! LOL), so I will post the photos later one.
byeeee for now,
Kathryn
x
p.s. one of the spooky photos is below - a strange presence in the photo!!!
I do hope you all enjoyed the snow! I only put my toes out in it to go and see my Mum and make sure she was ok - but I thought it was beautiful to look at.
My children enjoyed it too. My youngest, Sarah (who will be 15 on Saturday) can't really remember snow like it. Any little bit we have had in Cornwall in the past has always melted by lunchtime, so she made the most of it Monday evening and yesterday.
Why do people always have to moan so much when the Country comes to a stand still? Why don't they just lighten up a little and make the most of it!!! One old man was going on about it being like a third world country - miserable old bugger! I would be far more annoyed if Cornwall County Council spent millions on specialist equipment for an event that only happens every 20 years!
I was going to put some photos here - some spooky ones too!!! But, I have just had a phone call and I have to do some work (for a change!!! LOL), so I will post the photos later one.
byeeee for now,
Kathryn
x
p.s. one of the spooky photos is below - a strange presence in the photo!!!
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Valentines Day 14th February
Ideas for Valentines Day...................
Do you fancy a romantic holiday to Cornwall, with the envigorating sea air to blow away the cobwebs and fill you with total Zen and relaxation?
Take a long walk along Godrevy Beach, let the sea spray brush against your cheeks and your toes sink into golden sand - hand in hand with the love of your life of course!
Then why not stay at our holiday cottage, Rosia Cottage where you can totally relax in comfort.
There are memory foam mattresses on all of the beds, to ensure a good nights sleep for everyone. Our change over day is Saturday - so you could come on the 14th and stay for a week during the half term for only £350 for the whole week. Ring Kathryn to book now on
01209 711012!
Alternatively, if you don't want to take a holiday you can buy the love of your life a special gift from Trewhellows Gift Shop
 |
 |
Why not get a flower to last forever in the form of a Rose in a Crystal Ball like the one in the picture above?
We even have hand warmers in the shape of red hearts if you want your loved one to keep their fingers warm on these cold winters days.
So, that is my little plug for Valentines Day - don't I sound like a soppy old romantic? The truth is, I have never sent a Valentines Card or gift in my life - I don't have an ounce of romance in my body!!!I do hope that the romantics out there are full of love and enjoy themselves though!
Take care, until my next blog.......
Kathryn
x
Thursday, 15 January 2009
My baby has only gone and 'got all grown up'.....
My boy is 18 now and can legally go and buy his own pint! Where did that time go?
It only seems like yesterday when the midwife said "you are having a contraction" to which I replied "am I"? - the midwife told me that she doesn't have to actually inform many mothers about this so called painful event, but I honestly didn't feel a thing! (No, I didn't have an epidural (spelling?), only gas and air!
Anyway, this young man of mine is now waiting to hear from different Universities. He has to go to Manchester for an interview and the following Tuesday UCL. Still waiting to hear from York and Exeter - Nottingham don't want to i/v, just get 2 a's and 1 b and he has a place.
What an expense just going for interviews!!!! We sat down trying to work out the cheapest way to get from Cornwall to Manchester and it has ended up hubby and son will fly from Newquay - it's cheaper than taking a train and having to have two nights B/B. London is much cheaper to get to, so "Mummy" is keeping her fingers crossed that he gets a place at UCL!!!! Only draw back is, it will cost him more to stay in London if he is accepted.
Next question - what does a young man wear to an interview at Uni? We have been out and bought him a new suit and shirts with ties. (We did have a funeral to attend, so money not totally wasted), but a friend of mine has informed me that students don't dress up for interviews. Surely that can't be right? A Uni like UCL, who appear to only take the cream of the cream surely would prefer students to look smart at an interview - or am I just being really "old school" here and showing my age?
Well, I am going to go now - Big Brother starts in approx. 40 seconds!!!!!!!
Take care,
until my next blog......
Kathryn
x
Monday, 12 January 2009
Sale Time!!!!! Get some bargains in quick.
Hi everyone,
Where have I been hiding for so long?
Well, fortunately I have been busy!
Earlier this year, the company that designed, hosted and marketed our website
http://www.trewhellowsgiftshop.co.uk/ went out of business. We had to frantically find a new host
before losing our website - which we did with only days to spare! Phew.
We then set about having a brand new website designed and hosted by a new company (TidyV4) which went live in the middle of September. It's the best thing that ever happend to us as the new site is far busier than the old one and in my opinion looks far more professional.
There are plenty of goodies in the sale at Trewhellows Gift Shop - so take a look before it ends.
We have also set up a 14 day sale with our e-bay store, so why not grab yourself a bargain there too!
I have also been busy with our holiday cottage . People are now starting to book their summer holiday in Cornwall. I am confident that this summer will not be a wash out like 2007 and following this very cold winter we have had, it's bound to mean a glorious sunny, hot summer in Cornwall. (Don't hold me to that though!) I mean, -6 degrees is unheard of in Cornwall!!!
I need a nice warm sunny summer to re-charge my batteries!
Well, I had better get back to work - listing to the Bee Gees in the background - GREAT!
Someone has just sent a question about One Night Only asking if Andy Gibb is projected on the screen in one of the songs - what a brilliant excuse to have to listen to my own DVD!!!
Take care folks,
Kathryn
x
Where have I been hiding for so long?
Well, fortunately I have been busy!
Earlier this year, the company that designed, hosted and marketed our website
http://www.trewhellowsgiftshop.co.uk/ went out of business. We had to frantically find a new host
before losing our website - which we did with only days to spare! Phew.
We then set about having a brand new website designed and hosted by a new company (TidyV4) which went live in the middle of September. It's the best thing that ever happend to us as the new site is far busier than the old one and in my opinion looks far more professional.
There are plenty of goodies in the sale at Trewhellows Gift Shop - so take a look before it ends.
We have also set up a 14 day sale with our e-bay store, so why not grab yourself a bargain there too!
I have also been busy with our holiday cottage . People are now starting to book their summer holiday in Cornwall. I am confident that this summer will not be a wash out like 2007 and following this very cold winter we have had, it's bound to mean a glorious sunny, hot summer in Cornwall. (Don't hold me to that though!) I mean, -6 degrees is unheard of in Cornwall!!!
I need a nice warm sunny summer to re-charge my batteries!
Well, I had better get back to work - listing to the Bee Gees in the background - GREAT!
Someone has just sent a question about One Night Only asking if Andy Gibb is projected on the screen in one of the songs - what a brilliant excuse to have to listen to my own DVD!!!
Take care folks,
Kathryn
x
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