Hi @Dittydo
I just wanted to reach out to offer you some support 💜
I’m so deeply sorry to hear that your granddaughter has experienced so much trauma in her young life. As such, I can’t even begin to imagine the turmoil and agony of watching her in so much pain and distress and feeling powerless to be able to help her in the way that you feel she needs 💜
Just from what you’ve shared, your situation sounds incredibly complicated and I also got the sense that things are further compounded by the fact that you have to navigate so many other systems - each with their own challenges and complexities. As such, it’s absolutely no wonder that the situation has reached a point where it feels so unbearable.
I’m so pleased to hear that your granddaughter receives support from allied health and health professionals and as such, I just ever so gently wondered if you’ve had an opportunity to share some of your concerns with her Psychologist?
In my experience, it’s impossible to work with little ones in isolation and as such, mental health clinician’s often schedule separate appointments with foster and kinship carers to (for example) provide feedback and support in relation to issues of concern.
As such, creating a safe space for carers to share their concerns and what they notice happening outside of therapy not only provides clinicians with a broader understanding about what’s happening in children’s internal and external world but it also supports them to be able to advocate for their needs.
I can really hear how strongly you’re advocating for your granddaughter and how desperately you need your concerns to be heard and responded to in a way that acknowledges and takes into account your expertise in relation to how you know and understand your granddaughter and her needs.
With this in mind I wondered if it would be possible for you to contact your Granddaughters Child Safety Officer (or the Team Leader) to request a Family Group Meeting?
From my understanding, Family Group Meetings can be incredibly valuable as important people in children’s lives (for example those caring for them and the professionals who are supporting them) come together to share their concerns and identify the children’s support needs which are translated into goals and reviewed on a regular basis.
I also wondered if an organisation called Kinship Carers Victoria may be helpful for you (I’m so sorry if you don’t live in Victoria - I based this on the acronym that you used in the beginning of your post i.e. DHSS).
Basically, Kinship Carers Victoria provide information, support and advice and as such, they may be able to provide some guidance and direction in terms of how you can effectively address some of your concerns.
I’ve just shared the link to this particular section of their website below - just in case you would like to take a look:
https://kinshipcarersvictoria.org/support-for-kinship-carers/
Also, just while I remember, one of the things that really helped me when I was new to the forums and still finding my way around, was that if you would like to chat with another forum member, or reply to one of their posts, place @ in front of their username just like I did at the start of my post to you i.e. @Dittydo that way, they will receive a message that you have contacted them 😊
I really hope that this helps you a little bit and please know that you’re always welcome to reach out to us here whenever you need to 💜
Take care,
ShiningStar 💜
