Conversations with BAAF and my Mum

It's great to talk - as British Telecom used to say in their adverts. A couple of sane conversations have helped put me back on an even keel. Hooray!

BAAF, the British Association for Adoption and Fostering would be regarded as The Oracle on all matters adoption related in the UK. They provide advice and consultancy to parents and professionals alike and provided me with a sensible conversation this morning. The advisor I spoke to couldn't understand why the social work team are seeing our garden as such a problem. She thinks they are making a mountain out of a molehill. I told her all the things we've suggested to manage the shared garden and her response was:

If you've given them those particular solutions, I can't see why they're being so sticky about it. It seems very odd.

She evidently felt that it was the social workers, and not us, who were being unreasonable. I know we knew that already, but there is nothing like hearing from an expert to make you feel better.

The second sanity breathing conversation was with my Mum. Though she experiences similar infuriating interactions with social services, trying to get services for my sister, who has learning difficulties. It makes me very cross that the people who should be relieving the burden and making her feel helped and supported are a major added cause of stress in the already challenging role of looking after my sister.

I have emailed the manager who visited yesterday with the fairly blunt views of the BAAF advisor to aid him in his deliberations about our garden. We shall see what he comes back with...