Richard’s story – Independent Review of Adult Social Care

"The amount of paperwork the support staff have been asked to complete has got out of control which takes away precious support time."

“I was transitioned to care providers at the age of 16, when I was given the opportunity to experience what adult services was going to be like. The social worker put me forward to try out a couple of services. I was with one care provider for a couple of months however they were not suitable for my needs as they were not able to work with people who have physical disabilities.

The British Red Cross stepped in who gave me a full new outlook on life, giving me the opportunity to have the independence I desired. I was with The British Red Cross for eight to nine years before transitioning to Quarriers in 2018. Currently, I am in the process dividing my care package with AILN (Ayrshire Independent Living Network) to better suit my requirements.

In 2013, I was assessed as requiring a 24 hour care package. Without this I would be unable to care for myself and I would be unable to attend social events and activities with family and friends.

Transitioning from children services to adult services is a daunting experience. In my experience, the communication between social worker and care provider could be improved to allow a steady transition. The social worker could also have researched the care provider services to ensure they met my requirements.

Recently, I have noticed the amount of paperwork the support staff have been asked to complete has got out of control which takes away precious support time. This bothers me because I have to allow staff time away to write daily reports and complete other paperwork.

Support from team leaders and management to the service user is much less forthcoming since I transitioned to adult services. This could be improved. Support from management would allow for issues to be dealt with more effectively and allow for positive relationships to form between management and the service users.

Overall, I’ve found my experience of transitioning between children services to adult services and between care providers steady and carefully considered over the years.”

Read the Independent Review of Adult Social Care (this link will take you away from our website).

Read our news item on the Independent Review of Adult Social Care.

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