Orca House

The only thing they do well is breaking promises. They don't care what happens to the families in their care just as long as they don't actually have to follow anything up or God forbid do some paperwork. After nagging daily for 4 months I finally got a letter I'd requested and it wasn't even basic English. It was clearly just a bunch of copy/pasted phrases and half weren't even relevant to the child. I sent it back and asked them to proof read it and they changed one sentence. One! I need to submit this with legal documents and my 5 year old would have done a better job. Absolutely disgusted with the whole system. It's a joke and the kids that desperately need the care it supposedly offers are absolutely screwed.

They have not helped, they haven't contacted the school absolutely shocking service.

My son was misdiagnosed. We went to the Retreat in York and they were brilliant.

Visit here on occasion with my neurodivergent child and never received anything other than professional care. Even during covid times and before they moved buildings from Shipton Road. Helped us enormously. Many thanks.

Last May 2019 my child therapist was relocated to a different area. Not any continually treatments were offered at all in 2019. Not seriously taken approach demonstrated. After a long gap, we weren't offered any practical support, only have been pushed to grab unreasonable task - to tell our story as a new one. Out of school hours not available. By the information we heard from some appointed member of staff - only one therapist has been allocated to provide the after school treatments and a request to the management from some different therapists to extend / change the work hours was refused . Finally, the letter invited to take an appointment were issued after 2nd missed appointment.

I've known child was autistic since before they were 2. By the age of 7 we moved to York, from the start they had huge issues in school even though moved with school action plus on their file, became violent, but school considered them a naughty child, didn't recognise autism because the strategies for another autistic child didn't work for them. We got referred, assessed and missed diagnosis by 2 points, file left open, out of school placement, reassessed a year later which was by far the worst assessment, not taken seriously, lady didn't listen at all didn't understand the issues, twisted our words absolutely shocking and again no diagnosis but put referral in for CBT and family therapy. Family therapy absolute waste of resources, three sessions spent on just looking at mums history, child would have meltdowns but be unable to tell why, another child wouldn't speak (later diagnosed selective mute and ASD) toddler unable to speak. Gained absolutely nothing from the 6 sessions and yes my kids were supported. CBT, nurse didn't get further than two sessions at which point child went into shutdown and wouldn't speak so nurse decided they couldn't work with my child (surely the shutdown is part of anxiety the very thing they was there for) Eventually reassessment when child was 14, diagnosed autistic and told they were a missed case. Have been failed by Limetrees over and over. Child is demand avoidant, masks, but very clearly autistic. We have been through absolute hell fighting to get to this point.

On a day of appointment we surprisingly found that a specialist did not arrive to our appointment. However it is known at minimum of a day before, however, nobody informed the family and this then impact child missing a school of morning and parents missing work time, and will have to re schedule another appointment. Waste of time.

My daughter has just come off the phone to a first response team member who hasn't taken her seriously. He asked if she self harms and she doesn't cut herself so he said her harming wasn't serious. Asked if she's thought of committing suicide and she said yes but cos she's never attempted it, its not serious!! He said he can't help her and won't refer her.