A Long Way from Home: Part 3 of 3

‘I take it he’s not?’

‘No, of course not,’ I said, a little irritated. ‘She doesn’t want anything to do with my children and they are never alone. Anna was told off at school for bullying and retaliated by accusing my son of doing the same. My supervising social worker, Jill, is aware.’

As the IRO made a note Lori added, ‘There was a similar incident at the previous carers’.’ I looked at Jill; this was news to us.

‘What happened?’ the IRO asked.

‘Anna threw their cat down the stairs and when I spoke to her about it she said she’d done it because she was angry with the carer for hitting her. The carer is adamant she didn’t hit Anna.’

I held Jill’s gaze. I should have been told at the start that Anna had made false allegations, instead of letting me find out the hard way.

‘They were new carers and might not continue to foster now, which is a pity,’ Lori added.

‘Great pity,’ Jill said pointedly under her breath.

‘Thank you, Cathy,’ the IRO said. ‘Is there anything else you would like to add?’

I glanced at my notes. ‘Not really. Hopefully the referral to CAMHS will help.’

‘And Anna can stay with you until a decision is made on her future?’ he asked. It was a standard question.

‘Yes. She must. She can’t have another move.’

He nodded and now looked at Lori. ‘Would you like to give your report next?’

Lori sat upright in her seat as I sat back in mine and tried to relax. I was still smarting at the IRO’s suggestion that Adrian might have bullied Anna. The worry with unfounded allegations, apart from them being hurtful and causing trouble, is that they can leave a stain, even though they’re completely untrue. Anna’s previous carers wouldn’t be the first to stop fostering because of being wrongly accused.

‘Anna is in care under a Section 20 at her mother’s request,’ Lori was saying. ‘She was adopted from –’ and she gave the name of the country. ‘The parents, Elaine and Ian, couldn’t have children of their own. They followed the correct procedures for international adoption and passed the assessment. It seems likely that Anna was badly neglected as an infant in the orphanage and during the brief spells she spent with her birth mother. As a result she failed to form positive attachments. She was diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder prior to coming into care and I’ve asked for a copy of that report. The parents paid to see a psychologist privately, but I understand from Anna’s mother that no treatment followed the diagnosis.’ Lori paused to allow the IRO time to write.

‘There is no contact at present,’ Lori continued, ‘and the care plan is that Anna should return home, but that is looking increasingly unlikely. The parents are separated now and neither feels they can offer Anna a permanent home, so I am looking into kinship carers, but that isn’t hopeful. Both Elaine’s parents are dead. Ian’s parents are living but are in their seventies, and they had reservations about them adopting from abroad from the beginning. Ian has a brother but they already have three children. Elaine’s sister has been supportive but she is single and has a career. She has said she will think about offering Anna a permanent home, but she hadn’t planned to have children and would be reluctant to take a career break, which is what would be required for Anna’s high level of needs. If she does put herself forward then we will assess her.’ Relatives wanting to look after a child in care still have to be assessed and police checked, just as foster carers do, and they are not always accepted.

‘Anna is in good physical health,’ Lori continued, ‘and she’s up to date with her vaccinations, and dental and optician check-ups.’

‘Any accidents or illnesses since coming into care?’ the IRO asked. It was another standard question.

‘No,’ Lori confirmed. ‘And no exclusions from school, although she is on a reduced timetable. I know Miss Rich will cover that later.’

‘Any complaints about Anna’s care from the parents?’ he now asked. This question was usually put to the child’s parents if they were present.

‘Anna’s mother was concerned that Anna has had to move twice since coming into care but appreciated why that was necessary.’

He made a note. ‘What are the parents’ long-term wishes for the child?’

‘They don’t know. The mother is very distressed. Putting Anna into care was a last resort. She was close to breaking point and I’ve advised her to see her doctor.’

The IRO nodded. ‘And she doesn’t want contact now?’

‘No.’

‘Will you be applying for a Full Care Order?’ he now asked Lori.

‘Not at present, but the department will have to consider it in the future.’ A Full Care Order would transfer parental rights and responsibility to the local authority.

With Lori having finished her report, it was the turn of Miss Rich, and she looked slightly nervous and flushed as she started to speak. She had my sympathy. Speaking at a meeting is a bit of an ordeal if you aren’t used to it. She began with some background information. ‘Anna was in the school’s nursery from the age of three and a half and then joined the reception class when she was four. I have been her TA since last September. I give her support in the classroom in the morning and take her with two others in a small group in the afternoon. She attends school from ten o’clock to two o’clock each day.’

‘When were her hours reduced?’ the IRO asked.

‘At the beginning of December.’

‘So three months ago. Whose decision was that?’

‘It was a joint decision between the school and the parents – they were still together then. Anna’s behaviour at home had deteriorated badly and she wasn’t engaging at school, so it was thought reduced hours might help her cope. We were thinking she would return to a full timetable by the end of this term, but with all the recent disruption we don’t think she is ready yet.’

‘How is her behaviour at school now?’ the IRO asked.

‘Very difficult at times. She is behind with her learning and struggles to concentrate. She becomes easily frustrated and then disruptive. She’s working at about a year behind her actual age. We’ve asked that the educational psychologist assess her. I’ve brought some recent test results with me. Would you like to hear them?’

‘Yes, please,’ the IRO said.

Miss Rich read out the test results, which showed Anna was working at reception level – about aged four. Then she went through Anna’s Personal Education Plan, of which I had a copy on file at home.

The IRO thanked her and said he’d make a note that Anna was working towards rejoining school full-time.

He asked Jill if she would like to add anything and she said: ‘My role is to supervise, support and monitor Cathy in all aspects of her fostering. We are in regular contact by phone and I also visit her every month when we discuss the child’s progress. Cathy is an experienced and dedicated foster carer and I know she will ask for help and advice if necessary. Clearly Anna is presenting some very challenging behaviour, but I am satisfied that Cathy is doing all she can to meet Anna’s needs. I have no concerns and am happy with the level of care Anna is receiving.’

‘Thank you,’ the IRO said, and smiled at me. ‘I have the review forms here that Cathy and Anna have completed,’ he continued, and opened Anna’s. ‘Thank you for helping Anna to complete it,’ he said to me. He knew this from the line at the end of the form where the person giving help writes their name and relationship to the child. ‘It’s important the review hears the child’s views, so I will read out the questions and Anna’s replies. ‘The first question asks, do you know why you are in care? And Anna replied, “Because I have been bad at home.”’

I heard Lori draw a sharp breath, while Jill said, ‘Oh dear,’ and Miss Rich’s face fell. Pitiful though Anna’s words were, they didn’t hold the same impact for me now as when I’d first heard them.

‘I reassured her that wasn’t so,’ I told the review.

The IRO nodded and looked at Lori. ‘Perhaps you could follow that up next time you see Anna and reinforce that she isn’t to blame for coming into care.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Lori said.

‘The next question,’ the IRO continued, ‘asks if the child knows who their social worker is, and Anna said she didn’t so Cathy reminded her. The next asks if the child wants to see more of their social worker and her reply was, “No.”’

‘Show me a child who does,’ Lori said stoically.

‘What do you like about living with your foster carer?’ the IRO continued reading from Anna’s review form. ‘Anna said, “Nothing.” The next question asks what the child doesn’t like about living with their carer and Anna said, “Cathy, Adrian and Paula” – they are your children?’ he asked, glancing up at me.

‘Yes.’

‘Their cat, their house and having to stay in her own bed,’ he continued.

‘Don’t take it to heart,’ Jill said to me.

‘The next two questions concern the child’s last review so Cathy has written not applicable. The following is about her friends, and Anna said she doesn’t know who her friends are, nor if she wants to see more of them.’ He looked at Miss Rich. ‘Doesn’t she have friends at school? Most children her age do.’