Hello
I have cerebral palsy, a visual impairment, dyspraxia and epilepsy. I have four hours of support three times a week. This is practically helpful as there are some things I cannot do or struggle to do, but it feels likequite a lot for me, as for several years I didn't have any support. Until today I've had two workers doing alternate weeks, which was good because it's quite intense and having time off from each other was helpful. The workers are M and S, However I'm furious/miserable because the company that organises the care has made a unilateral decision that from now on M will do everything, because she is a contract worker who needs hours and S was doing overtime. M is very difficult to work with. She has a congenital hearing impairment and talks loudly and continuously - I know that sounds like an exaggeration but please believe me it's not. I'm pretty sure she has mild learning difficulties as unless she is given very specific and minute instructions she doesn't retain information and forgets what she has been told, sometimes repeatedly, or does something else. I'm doing a PhD and work from home but she doesn't seem to understand that I need quiet to do this, although I have told her repeatedly. I thought I was quite sociable, but it turns out not all the time, Also because I only have one room in a flat, she is always in my room, which is my personal space. Her husband and daughter phone her several times a day although I have suggested that they do this only in emergencies. Perhaps I could suggest she puts her phone on silent while she is working? I hope I don't sound unpleasant, but I find this situation very stressful, which is ironic.
I am also annoyed because I am on a programme called personalisation, which is meant to work around the service user, but when I explained that I thought it was a good idea to have two workers because it made relations easier they just said they couldn't accommodate me. Very nicely, but also very flatly. Personalisation is only smoke and mirrors. And I will miss S, who doesn't stress me out, and who also works on her own initiative, can be quiet, and makes me laugh. She also cleans efficiently - my sister, whom I live with and who isn't visually impaired, says M doesn't do this. I hope this isn't a nasty post - I'm just kind of miserable, And quite pissed off with the service provider.
