This has got my wife wound up. She was a carer to her brother and all they got was someone coming in the morning and evening to wash him. Plus the mere mention of respite was enough for social services to try and wash there hands of them. They are a bit better these days but only just.

Social services are pretty good at avoiding taking responsibility for people. There is a unwritten policy of trying to get as many people off their books by getting them wound up and then describing them as having a mental problem, thereby becoming a mental health problem and the NHS's problem.

It wasn't even that. They just didn't want to know.

There was one incident where a charity organised a holiday for my brother-in-law. When it came to giving him another holiday away from home, social services declined as they claimed that they already gave him a holiday. But once it was pointed out that the previous holiday was organised by a charity and not by them, they changed their mind.

There is a lot of passing the buck by social services. If they can get out of their responsibility they will. They will always say no from initial contact, until they are literally told that they have to do it. Many people give up so they get their way, no expense and no future involvement.

Thankfully, when it comes to her brother, my wife does not give up. We got my dad (a solicitor) to continually write letters until it the head of the legal department have to start dealing with it. It has brought some improvements. They are not so dismissive now

Yes but not everyone has a family access to solicitors or such support. It will get worse with extended families and people going into care in old age.