Moscow Rules

Once is an event, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern.  The oft quoted Moscow Rules seem appropriate at the moment.  I am up against the enemy (Nottinghamshire Social Services) and yesterday they informed me they need to do a THIRD annual review on me.

I said no.

I wanted to say, "Are you f**king kidding me?" but I was too polite.

I have already had two reviews this year.  My needs have not changed since my previous review, the eligibility criteria has not changed and at the second review I provided written statements in answer to all the assessment form questions which they took away with them.  I have no idea why they would need to do yet another review, I have nothing left to tell them.

I asked to speak to the manager.  They said she would call me that afternoon.  She didn't call me.  I phoned again today.  She still hasn't called me.

I had a disagreement with the review worker who did my second review.  I told her I felt like I was being harassed.  These reviews might seem mundane and boring but for me they are long, tiring affairs, I have to have my wits about me, the stress takes it's physical toll and I required considerable rest to recover from them.  I still haven't recovered from the review I had nine days ago and yet they want to do another one.

The review worker said I wasn't being harassed.  I asked her what she would call repeatedly asking me to sign a legally binding document whilst I was in severe pain and unable to read the document, never mind sign it, is that not harassment?  The review worker refused to provide me with a response.

This situation has become ridiculous.  I need help.  I need the same help as before.  The rules haven't changed, so why all the fuss?

Budget cuts.

I can only imagine that Nottinghamshire County Council have made up their own unofficial policy that gives them carte blanch to do what they have to to meet their budget.  My problem is that cutting my budget will make me ill.  Very ill.  If I can't manage my condition I deteriorate fast.  I go from being able to live at home with support to needing full time care.  I don't want to end up in a nursing home away from my husband and children.  I don't want to live struggling to make it through each day in a dirty house because I'm in too much pain to clean it, living on ready meals because I have no support to cook healthy food from scratch.  I don't want my husband to be under so much stress at home that he has a mental breakdown and loses his job.  I've been through that before.  It is not an option.

So now I'm left waiting.  I'm stressed out, my head and neck pain is flaring, I feel like I have no control over the situation, even The Rowan Organisiation admit they don't know if they can help me.

Three annual reviews in two months.  It's beyond a joke and it really isn't funny.