Saving Danny

  There was little I could say.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  For the Good of the Child

  I knew as soon as I showed Reva into the living room for Danny’s review that there was an atmosphere between her and Terri. She said a very frosty ‘Good morning’ to Terri without looking at her, and then chose the seat furthest away from her and completely ignored her. Sue, Jill and Ray (the independent reviewing officer, whom I’d met before at another child’s review) were already present. It was only when Ray opened the meeting by asking, ‘Are we expecting anyone else?’ that the reason for Reva’s hostility became obvious.

  ‘If you mean my husband, Richard,’ she said tartly, ‘then no. He had to go to work.’

  Ray hadn’t specifically meant Richard – it was the question all reviewing officers ask at the start of the meeting – but Terri replied swiftly, ‘He should be here, Reva.’

  ‘He can’t be if he’s working,’ Reva retaliated. ‘Why don’t you schedule these things for the evening?’ She had a point.

  ‘I’ve tried to see Richard in the evening,’ Terri said. ‘But he’s not in then either.’

  Ray looked surprised and somewhat bemused by their exchange. ‘I’ll record his apologies for absence,’ he said, trying to smooth over hostilities. ‘It isn’t a problem. So let’s start by introducing ourselves.’ Introductions are normal practice at the start of a child’s review and the reviewing officer, in this case Ray, would also be chairing and minuting the meeting. ‘Ray Sturgess, independent reviewing officer for Danny,’ he said, writing on the large notepad he had open on his lap.

  ‘Jill – Cathy’s supervising social worker,’ Jill said.

  ‘Cathy Glass, Danny’s foster carer.’

  ‘Thank you. You look familiar …’ Ray said, glancing at me as he wrote.

  ‘You were the reviewing officer for Alice, last year,’ I reminded him.

  ‘Yes, of course. Sorry, I see so many faces. Nice to see you again.’ Then he looked at Reva for her introduction.

  ‘Reva – Danny’s mother,’ she said stiffly.

  ‘Thank you. I’ll make a note of your husband’s apology for absence now.’

  ‘His name is Richard,’ Reva said.

  ‘And he is Danny’s father?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Ray then looked at Sue, who was next. ‘Sue Bright, Danny’s teacher since he came to the school a year ago,’ she said.

  ‘Thank you.’

  Lastly was Terri. ‘Terri – Danny’s social worker,’ she said.

  Ray finished writing and looked up. ‘Thank you all for coming. This is the first review for Danny – who came into care on 1 February this year. The aim of this meeting is to make sure that everything is being done as it should for Danny, and that the care plan is relevant and up to date. I haven’t had a chance to meet Danny yet, but I have made arrangements to see him in school after this meeting. I spoke to your head teacher yesterday,’ Ray added looking at Sue. She nodded. ‘Perhaps we can go there straight after this meeting?’

  ‘Yes,’ Sue said.

  ‘Thank you. Danny is accommodated under a Section 20. Are there any changes to that?’ he asked Terri.

  ‘No,’ she said.

  ‘And Reva and Cathy have received copies of the care plan?’ Ray asked, glancing at us.

  ‘Yes, thank you,’ I said. Reva nodded.

  ‘Good. And the care plan is up to date?’ he asked Terri.

  ‘Yes,’ Terri said. These were all standard questions.

  ‘And contact remains unchanged? Tuesday and Thursday, four o’clock until six o’clock, and Saturday, ten till six. All contact is at the family home.’

  ‘Yes,’ Terri said.

  ‘Good. I have received the review forms that Cathy and Danny were asked to complete,’ Ray continued. ‘And these are included in the minutes. Cathy, perhaps you would like to start by telling us how Danny has settled with you.’ The foster carer is often asked to speak first at a child’s review, because they are dealing with the child on a daily basis.

  I sat upright. I had my fostering folder on my lap, but I knew what I wanted to say. I would give an honest account, but I would also focus on the positives. ‘Danny has settled in very well,’ I began. ‘He eats and sleeps well, likes going to school and doing his homework. He has his pet rabbit here, George, which I think has helped him enormously.’

  ‘And it’s you and your three children living here?’ Ray asked.

  ‘Yes, Adrian is fifteen, Lucy thirteen and Paula eleven.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Ray said, making a note. ‘And Danny gets on all right with your children? He is an only child at home.’

  ‘Yes, although of course my children are much older than Danny, so there isn’t really any sibling rivalry.’

  Ray nodded as he wrote. ‘What time does Danny go to bed?’

  ‘I usually take him up at about seven o’clock,’ I said. ‘Then he’s in bed between eight and eight-thirty, depending on whether he has a bath or not. It takes him a while to wash and change into his pyjamas. He likes to do it himself, in a set routine, but I stay with him and don’t leave him unattended. He wakes between six-thirty and seven.’

  ‘Any nightmares or bed wetting?’ Ray asked.

  ‘No,’ I said.

  ‘Danny used to wet the bed every night,’ Reva said. ‘But he stopped about six months ago when Richard told me not to buy him any more nappies.’

  ‘The strategy seems to have worked,’ Ray said encouragingly, smiling at Reva. The atmosphere lightened slightly.

  ‘So Danny sleeps well,’ Ray confirmed, looking at me to continue.

  ‘Yes. He has a soft-toy rabbit, also called George, which he has in bed with him. He goes to sleep with the duvet pulled up over his head, but I uncover his face once he’s asleep when I check on him. Sometimes I read him a story before we go up if he’s not too tired.

  ‘And eating?’ Ray asked as he wrote. ‘Is Danny eating his meals?’

  ‘Yes, but as in all things he needs a lot of time. He is very methodical and likes to cut up his food and arrange it before he starts eating. He’s had quite a limited diet so I am gradually introducing new foods. He usually finishes all his meal, and he knows how to use a knife and fork.’

  ‘That’s good,’ Ray said with another encouraging smile at Reva. She didn’t respond. ‘So what else can you tell us about Danny? Are there any health concerns?’

  ‘He is special needs,’ (which Ray would know), ‘and finds new situations very difficult, even when they’re explained in advance. I am slowly trying to widen his experiences, but it takes time. I have taken him to the park in the snow, and to the cinema and an activity centre. He coped pretty well.’

  ‘And is his play age-appropriate?’ Ray asked.

  ‘No,’ Reva said before I had a chance to answer.

  ‘Perhaps Cathy could answer first, please, and then when she has finished her report you can tell us about Danny?’ Ray put it nicely and she nodded.

  ‘In some areas Danny’s play is age-appropriate and even advanced for his years, especially in his art work and the patterns he creates – they are intricate and incorporate complicated colour sequences – but much of Danny’s other play is more like that of a much younger child. For example, he can spend hours pushing a toy car around the floor without wanting to take the play further and create situations using the car. He doesn’t role play. He can do some jigsaw puzzles, but he struggles with many other games that you would expect a child of six to be able to master, like Snap, for example. When he first arrived he played with Lego for a whole week and didn’t want to play with anything else. He didn’t build with the Lego bricks but arranged them into different patterns. Then, after that week, he played with something else for another four days. He seems to like the repetitiveness in games and tasks he is very familiar with.’

  Ray nodded.

  ‘Danny likes his bath,’ I said, moving on. ‘I was going to ask if I could start taking him swimmin
g. And perhaps he could join in the swimming lessons at school?’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ Reva said with a shrug, which was a turnaround.

  Ray looked at Sue. ‘Can the school make the necessary provision for Danny to join his class’s swimming lessons?’

  ‘Yes,’ Sue said. ‘Yvonne, Danny’s teaching assistant, will go in the water with him. We have offered this before.’

  ‘Good,’ Ray said, making a note. ‘So let’s make that one of the decisions of this review: that Danny will start swimming lessons at school.’

  ‘If Danny starts swimming at school I don’t think Cathy should take him swimming as well,’ Reva said. ‘It will be too much for him to cope with all at once.’ Which was true.

  Ray nodded. ‘That’s fine, and at the next review we can look into whether it is appropriate for Danny to go swimming in his leisure time with Cathy. But there is nothing to stop you from taking him swimming,’ he said to Reva.

  Reva gave a small, unenthusiastic nod.

  ‘And can Danny tell you what he wants?’ Ray now asked me. He would be aware that Danny had communication difficulties.

  ‘Sometimes, but he struggles to express himself and needs a lot of time. To be honest, he finds it easier to talk to his rabbit, George, than to other children or adults.’

  I saw Reva nod.

  ‘Thank you,’ Ray said to me. ‘Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Danny?’

  There was plenty I could say, but I knew that Ray would have seen the report from the social services and the school, and that I had to be sensitive to the fact that Reva was present. ‘Danny is a lovely little boy,’ I said. ‘But because of his high level of needs he can also be very hard work. He requires a lot of time and patience, and needs preparing for even the simplest of events. He can easily become frustrated and then he screams and shouts. Sometimes he becomes overloaded, can’t cope and has a meltdown. I’m learning to recognize the signs and can sometimes intervene in time to stop it, but not always. Danny has a lot to give, and although he can’t express himself he takes everything in and feels things very deeply. I can only guess at how frustrating life must be for him. I do my best and hope I’m getting it right, but it’s not always easy to tell.’

  Ray nodded thoughtfully as he wrote.

  ‘I was wondering’, Jill said, looking at Ray and then Terri, ‘if perhaps Cathy could meet with the educational psychologist or CAMHS [child and adolescent mental health services] to explore strategies that may help her to look after Danny.’

  ‘Without me being present?’ Reva interjected.

  ‘I didn’t mean to exclude you,’ Jill said. ‘But it might benefit Danny if Cathy was given some advice on managing his behaviour while she is the main carer.’

  ‘I’m his mother. Why can’t I go?’ Reva said.

  ‘You probably could,’ Jill said, looking at Terri.

  ‘Yes,’ Terri said. ‘But Reva, I’m still waiting to see you and Richard together so I can start a referral to the education psychologist to have Danny assessed. Once the assessment is made then it will become clearer what additional help Danny needs.’ Then, looking at Ray, Terri said, ‘Richard is still opposed to his son being assessed and hasn’t been able to meet with me yet. The department is considering its options, including applying for an ICO.’

  I knew the significance of this and so did Jill. She threw me a worried look. ICO stands for Interim Care Order, so the social services were now very close to applying to the court for an order, which would assign parental rights for Danny to them.

  ‘Perhaps Cathy and Reva could have an informal chat with the educational psychologist?’ Jill suggested. ‘I know the educational psychologist is very busy, but it might be worth asking. We could also apply to CAMHS, although I believe they have a long waiting list.’

  ‘Will you follow this up then?’ Ray asked Terri. She nodded and made a note.

  ‘Cathy, can you tell us how Danny is after contact, and then we’ll move on to Reva?’

  ‘Danny is coping well with all the changes he has to make,’ I said. ‘He doesn’t say much after contact, and usually goes straight out to see to George.’

  ‘But he’s not upset?’ Ray asked.

  ‘No. Well, apart from last Thursday when he was sad.’

  ‘And do we know why he was sad?’ Ray asked.

  ‘Because Richard and I had an argument,’ Reva put in, clearly annoyed.

  There was silence.

  ‘But normally Danny is all right after contact?’ Ray asked me.

  ‘Yes,’ I said.

  ‘And telephone contact?’ Ray asked.

  ‘There isn’t any,’ Terri pointed out.

  ‘Danny hates the phone,’ Reva said.

  ‘I think it’s the sound of it ringing that he doesn’t like,’ I said. ‘He seems to have very sensitive hearing and will cover up his ears at loud noises. But I’m happy to try him with a phone call home if Reva would like me to.’

  Everyone looked at Reva, who didn’t immediately agree. Most parents would have jumped at the opportunity of more contact.

  ‘Perhaps you’d like time to think about this?’ Ray suggested to her. ‘Then, if you would like to try telephone contact, tell Terri and she’ll arrange it with Cathy.’

  Reva nodded.

  ‘Anything else you would like to add?’ Ray asked, looking at me.

  ‘It’s not specifically about Danny, but I was wondering if I might buy a rabbit run for the garden so George can spend time out of his hutch when Danny isn’t here.’

  ‘If Danny says so,’ Reva said. ‘Ask him.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Ray said as he wrote. ‘Cathy, one question I must ask you as a matter of course is: can Danny stay with you for as long as necessary?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said. The independent reviewing officer usually asks this at the child’s first review.

  Ray finished writing and then looked up. ‘Reva, would you like to speak now? Are you happy with the level of care Danny is receiving at Cathy’s?’ This question is standard too, although I still feel uncomfortable as I wait for the parent(s) to reply.

  ‘Yes,’ Reva said.

  ‘Do you have any concerns about the care Danny is receiving? Anything you would like to raise or discuss?’

  ‘No,’ Reva said.

  ‘Is there anything you’re especially pleased with?’

  Reva shrugged. ‘Not really.’

  ‘Perhaps you’d like to tell us a bit about Danny now,’ Ray said.

  Reva shrugged again. ‘I don’t know what to say. I’ve said it all to Terri, and I gave Cathy notes on Danny when he first came here.’

  ‘You mentioned earlier that you didn’t think Danny’s play was always age-appropriate. Perhaps you’d like to expand on that.’

  ‘Not really,’ Reva said. ‘Cathy said it all.’

  ‘And what about contact?’ Ray asked. ‘Are you happy with the level of contact at present and the way it is going?’

  ‘I guess so,’ Reva said.

  ‘So the contact arrangements are working well?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Do you have any concerns about Danny’s health?’ Ray now asked, working down a checklist of issues to be covered at the review.

  ‘No,’ Reva said.

  ‘Are Danny’s eyesight and hearing tests up to date?’

  ‘I took Danny to the clinic about six months ago, but they couldn’t do anything as he wouldn’t let them touch him,’ Reva said.

  ‘So Danny hasn’t had a recent health check-up? Hearing or sight test?’

  ‘No,’ Reva confirmed.

  ‘And what about the dentist? Has Danny had a check-up recently?’ When a child comes into care under a court order the foster carer usually arranges for these health checks, but if the child is accommodated under a Section 20 the responsibility often stays with the parents.

  Reva shook her head. ‘Danny wouldn’t open his mouth for the dentist and then he screamed and lashed out.’

 
‘Perhaps Cathy could take him,’ Ray suggested to Terri. ‘He should have a check-up.’

  ‘Yes,’ Terri said. ‘That’s fine with me.’

  ‘Are you happy for Cathy to take Danny?’ Ray now asked Reva. ‘He could go to the clinic where you registered him.’ Which most parents prefer.

  ‘Yes,’ Reva said. ‘It’s Yew Lodge clinic, in the same road as his school.’

  I made a note.

  ‘Is there anything else you can think of that Danny needs?’ Ray now asked Reva.

  ‘Not really,’ Reva said. Usually parents have plenty to say at a review – it is, after all, their child, and even though they aren’t actually parenting the child at the time they have worries and views about their care. But despite Ray’s encouragement, Reva didn’t want to say any more. I thought she seemed on her guard, as she had been recently with me, although the purpose of the review was to give all parties a chance to work together for the good of the child.

  ‘And Danny’s father, Richard,’ Ray now said. ‘Is he happy with the level of care Danny is receiving?’

  ‘Yes,’ Reva said tightly.

  ‘And you both understand and agree with the care plan?’ Ray asked. Reva didn’t immediately answer, so Ray clarified: ‘That Danny will stay here with Cathy until he is rehabilitated home to live with you and Richard in approximately three months’ time.’

  There was a long pause before Reva said, ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Richard.’

  ‘Ask him what?’ Ray said.

  ‘If Danny can come home to live with us permanently.’

  There was silence. I saw Jill and Terri exchange a glance. Sue was looking at Reva, also shocked by her comment.

  ‘So you have doubts about Danny returning home?’ Ray asked Reva.

  ‘Yes,’ Reva said.

  ‘Can you tell us what your concerns are?’

  Reva shrugged and looked close to tears.

  Ray turned to Terri. ‘I assume you weren’t aware of this?’

  ‘No,’ Terri said. Then addressing Reva she said, ‘This is the first I’ve heard of this. I need to meet with both of you as a matter of urgency.’

  Reva’s face crumpled. ‘Why does everyone always blame me?’ she said. ‘It’s not my fault Richard won’t see you.’ Grabbing her handbag from beside her chair she ran out of the room and down the hall. Terri followed her, but from the hall we heard Reva shout, ‘Leave me alone, won’t you!’