Are social services influenced by wealth?

The parents could be part of the problem. The fact that he has a court appointed guardian suggests this, but in fact we know so little about this case - and should not know more, makes it impossible to offer any comment.

We do not even know what is meant by extreme wealth. It could be a billionaire, a millionaire or someone with a high income and a big house, but no huge wealth. It then comes down to how high an income is classed as extreme wealth.

Far too many imponderables, and as Scentia has said, a child's need not their parents affluence governs the work social workers do.

I am not wealthy mercedez, but still had my daughter privately assessed by an educational psychologist. She had private tuition too.

The UK has some outstanding private SEN schools or organisations.

Encourage his parents to get him privately assessed and then hire experts (either a school or home tutors) to help him.

I agree lemongrove it has been an extraordinarily difficult time for children with additional needs and their families.

Due to Covid my DGS has had a similar time of it, because the Social workers are hit by illness/ cannot do the one-to- one that they usually do.His schooling has been vastly curtailed as well ( by the school).A dreadful year for all special needs children regardless of wealth/ or lack of.
It couldn’t be helped.

Wealth should never be an issue regarding the welfare of a child.
My own nephew has many issues that mean various agencies are involved with him, his school attendance is sitting at 24% and his engagement with school work is awful. He has two loving, educated, supportive parents who have followed every strategy advised, but they cannot force him to physically leave the house and go to school. It’s heart breaking for all concerned.
What I will say is that in our instance, the fact that there is a stable and supportive immediate and extended family with no child welfare issues, it has been extremely difficult to access all of the help that should be available to help my nephew. The system is so overworked that he is not a priority.
We understand on a global level that other children who are in deprivation should obviously take priority and that the pandemic has hit hard, but that doesn’t help my nephew.
I suppose that’s been a long winded way of saying that although wealth shouldn’t be an issue, the reality is that even with the support allocated, in practice it doesn’t always actually work that way.

Wrote a post and then realised I was saying exactly what Scentiahas already said and Mini2020 supported.

So add me to the list of those in complete agreement with Scentia

Totally agree Scentia!

As a Social Worker I can categorically state that wealth is NEVER a factor on how much intervention the state will provide. There is something else going on here and cannot really be sensibly discussed on an open forum.

No. I don't think wealth is the issue. But there are too many questions here. There must be something going on in court, presumably to try to sort something out.
Are the parents engaged with the school?

That's what I thought too Oopsadaisy.

OP do you actually know what your GCs problems are? He seems to have a lot of professional people looking out for his welfare, most of them Court and LA Appointed.
I’m thinking that there is more to his problems than the parents wealth and his lack of reading ability.

You haven't said why all these people are involved so I don't know how we comment really. If he has additional needs the professionals will most probably suggest the parents pay for extra help as there is little available via the LA

The solicitor, at least, must have been engaged and paid for by the parents; and private health insurance can pay for a psychiatrist or therapist. However, the social worker and school attendance officer are presumably statutory appointees. At 14, with a reading age of 8, it appears that he has learning difficulties and that he would benefit from being taught in the smaller classes of a private establishment.

He has plenty of people involved in his education. Home schooling should be supported by his parents so what are they actually doing on a daily basis? I would doubt wealth is a factor

I think it sounds like he has lots of support. Is home education an option. You cant force someone to go to school. Well you can but it's usually pointless.

Why does he need all these interventions? Surely there must be a problem - and it sounds like it's with his parents (sorry if I'm being rude when there's a reasonable explanation). I couldn't say if money comes into it, but clearly there's something amiss, both from his parents' side and from the authorities'.

If his parents are that wealthy why on earth don`t they have him privatley educated.
He may just hate going to school and knows that one day he will inherit his parents fortune and ia thinking he doesn`t need an education.
And yes i do think his parents being wealthy has a bearing on it,
They will put the work into someone who does want the help.