Living in limbo

I keep wanting to post about progress on Social Services review of our sons care package - but as there isn't much progress, it's a bit difficult. We didn't ask for this review, we don't want it, but it's probably the biggest thing affecting his future care - and it's been dragging on for almost a year. The basic problem is that although both NHS and Social Services want his care package reviewed (we believe so that they can implement cuts) neither actually has the staff to carry it out (because of the cuts).

Part of me wants to just ignore it and let it die of neglect, but in the real world we can't. Things have moved on since the review started and bits of his care package (for unrelated reasons) are becoming problematic. In normal circumstances, we'd simply sort them out with the providers/commissioners - but because it's under review, we can't. Net results - he doesn't get some services and others fall back on us to provide because no one else will/can. They will get sorted once his review is sorted but meanwhile there's a problem, and we carry the extra load 'temporarily'. As no one is now paying for these bits (because we do them) this is effectively a cut - but no one wants to accept it as one.

I'm sure 'cuts by default' aren't anything new, but they are still cuts and they put on extra pressure. What's more of a problem is the uncertainty (added to the uncertainty about next years withdrawal of his Mobility Allowance and presumably a DLA reassessment). After a meeting yesterday, I'm now in a position to set my own timetable for progress on his review - whether the other parties will accept it remains to be seen, but I've got to start holding the commissioners to account, because no one else will.

I can do without this.