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Post by kitkat on Jun 27, 2012 17:13:33 GMT 10
Hello everyone.
I'm so glad to find this forum, after reading through the posts there is just so much information on here its fantastic. DH and I have just started on the road to Permanent Care. I am a little nervous but hopeful.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone on here.
Kitty.
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Post by lilchookie on Jun 28, 2012 7:51:50 GMT 10
Welcome to the forum! There is lots of information around here
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Post by goggly on Jul 1, 2012 11:25:28 GMT 10
Welcome Kitty! We are also on the list for PC and LA (second time around) so if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Which region are you going through?
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Post by kitkat on Jul 1, 2012 17:24:03 GMT 10
Thanks Ladies. We are going through the North Western region. Have only registered for the information session at this stage. I have a million questions to ask, I am hoping the information session with help with some of them.
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Post by goggly on Jul 1, 2012 18:07:29 GMT 10
The information sessions will help but take the information with a grain of salt, its in the interviews that you get the real picture of how it will work! When's the info session?
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Post by kitkat on Jul 1, 2012 18:24:06 GMT 10
Info session is later this month. Looking forward to it. ;D Just curious but how many interviews do they do? I presume they come and inspect your home and do them there, is that right? Or how does it work?
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Post by nevermind on Jul 2, 2012 19:10:29 GMT 10
Welcome, Kitkat :-)
I am going through the interviews at the moment. They need to do at least one in your home, so they can do a safety inspection. Others can be done at their offices, but all of mine are being done in my home, because the social workers don't really like their offices :-)
For some reason I thought there was a minimum of four interviews, but I have since been told there is no minimum or maximum. They will take as long as they take. Sometimes they head out to do interviews and think that it will be a straight forward application, and then an issue pops up that requires them to really dig around with the questioning and they take longer than they thought. They will probably do one alone with you and one alone with DH though, as well as a few together. I am a single applicant, so they're all on my own! I am just about to do my third and I wouldn't be surprised if there was at least one more. They use your life story as the basis of your interviews. You'll need to do your training sessions first though, and complete the application before they get to interviews.
Good luck!
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Post by goggly on Jul 2, 2012 19:59:53 GMT 10
We had about four interviews and a home inspection. All interviews at the office and a 30 minute home inspection which was very easy (but brought out every cleaning obsession I ever had!). Seems to depend on your SW and region to how they work it.
It also seems that at the moment they are very slow to allocate SW and start interviews. Don't know if it has changed very recently but did know a while ago that one region was more than 18 months behind in allocating workers.
How are you finding it as a single applicant nevermind?
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Post by asher on Jul 3, 2012 2:16:55 GMT 10
I remember how it felt to be knew to this.. please feel free to ask anything. As for visits, we had three to our home.
Good luck!
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Post by nevermind on Jul 4, 2012 22:29:44 GMT 10
On the time it took to be allocated a SW, it took them 4 months from receiving all my paperwork (application, medical, referees, poice check etc) to allocate a SW and then another 2 months to actually lock in the first interview date. I have been a squeaky wheel throughout, so it could've possibly taken longer if I wasn't reminding them frequently how keen I was to progress :-)
Goggly - hard to compare, since I've never applied as part of a partnership, but I don't think I'm finding anything particularly unique about applying as a single applicant. When I was putting together the application, I was relieved it was just me, because I couldn't imagine how much more there would be if there was another person - two life stories, two sets of referees and so on :-). My SW have said they keep the interviews shorter with single applicants, because it's super intense when there's not another person to bounce off, so my longest interview so far was the first and that went for 3 hrs. Hoping this next one coming up is a long one, because I'm really hoping it may be my last, although wouldn't be at all surprised if they require more.
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Post by goggly on Jul 5, 2012 9:29:58 GMT 10
Hi Nevermind (and everyone else!) it sounds like your interviews were similar to the partner applications anyway. Our first interview was about three hours and then the rest were shorter. We had another one together, one each and then a home visit.
It does seem to be the squeaky wheel in all this. I remember when we did the first round of applications I rang pretty consistently (because I wasn't savvy enough not too!) and we got assessed quickly. Well what I now know is really quickly, but in real time, forever!
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Post by kitkat on Jul 5, 2012 11:26:07 GMT 10
Thanks for all the information everyone, at least now I have an idea of what I am in for. I'm not good at waiting so I'm not sure how I will cope with that. I'm glad you all understand which is great. Looking forward to getting to know everyone.
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