How devolution is affecting social care: Marina, service user, Scotland

Marina, a service user in Scotland, talks about her experiences.

“I’m registered blind and use a wheelchair. I only have direct payments for respite. I tried to get direct payments but when the social worker came out to explain it to me at home there wasn’t the money available to use the company I wanted.

“Social workers have improved over the last few years and lately it has been good, although I still don’t have a named social worker so when I ring up it’s whoever answers the phone that deals with me.

“I never had a social worker before. I was in hospital in Edinburgh on the neurology ward and the occupational therapist suggested I get a social worker because when I had to come home I wasn’t going to be able to access my bathroom without assistance.

“When you use social services social workers need to treat you as if you are an ordinary member of the public, not as if you can’t deal with things yourself. No matter how well trained they are they sometimes forget to talk to you like you are a person. I’d like social workers to listen to disabled people because for the majority of the time it is the disabled person who knows what is best for them.”

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