Introduction to Disability Assessment by Social Services - Programs Available for Disabled Children

Further information and advice

or further information, please contact your local Carers Centre, Citizens Advice Bureau, Law Centre or Disabled Person's Advice Centre.

Tips for attending meetings with Social Services

Be prepared:

for example, you might want to have visited a school or a residential home, if you are planning to talk about placements.

Keep copies of everything:

for example, letters you have written about your child to the authorities, as well as those they send to you. Keep everything in a file, making sure you read everything you think might be relevant before the meeting to refresh your memory.

Make notes:

it is easy to forget something so having a few notes handy at a case conference will help to make sure you cover all the points you want to make. Listen to what the professional workers have to say and make notes of what is said.

Take someone with you:

if you have a partner, make sure you both attend the case conference. If that is not possible, or you are a single parent, take a friend or someone from a local support network.

Do not be frightened to ask:

if you do not understand what is being said, ask questions until you do.

Keep calm:

do not lose your temper if things are going wrong. Try and give reasoned counter arguments.

Follow up:

compare notes and draw up a summary of the main points made at the meeting, what was agreed, and what still needs agreement to be reached.

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