Lucy laughed loudly. ‘You’ll break that for sure!’
‘I know.’
‘I was thinking I should make a New Year’s resolution to try and be nice to my new social worker, and to forgive all the people who hurt me. Then I’ll be a nicer person, won’t I?’
‘Oh, love,’ I said, turning to her. ‘You are a nice person already. I love you just as you are.’
‘I love you too,’ she said, with another kiss on my cheek. ‘And I always will.’
I telephoned the social services the following day, but there was only a skeleton staff in the offices until after the New Year, so as it wasn’t an emergency I said I’d phone back in a week. I was aware that the final court hearing had taken place some time in December and I assumed Stevie’s manager had represented the social services in court. As the outcome of the hearing didn’t directly affect me looking after Lucy, I hadn’t been told, but it seemed likely the judge would have granted the social services a Full Care Order, which would give them full parental rights, although it didn’t change the care plan. I wondered if Bonnie had attended the court hearing or whether she’d left it to her solicitor and lawyer. All parties in care proceedings have legal representation; if they can’t afford the legal costs, then those costs are met by the state through the legal aid scheme.
All too soon the Christmas holidays came to an end and we had to take down the decorations and stow them in the loft for next year. The children were very slow getting up on that first morning back at school, so I had to chivvy them along.
‘Six weeks until half-term holiday,’ Adrian sighed at breakfast that morning.
Lucy groaned and Paula pulled a sulky face. It wasn’t that they didn’t like school; it was the wrench of going back after a wonderful Christmas. I felt the same reluctance to start the school routine again.
‘I hope it snows like it did last year,’ Lucy said, perking up a little at the thought.
‘I hope so too!’ Paula agreed. ‘We had such fun!’
Incredibly, in February Lucy would have been with us for a year. We thought back and remembered how it had snowed on her first weekend with us, and we shared our happy memories.
The following week, on the Tuesday morning, having heard nothing from the social services, I prepared for Lucy’s review, which was scheduled to take place at eleven o’clock. Jill had telephoned the department to confirm the review was taking place, and the team manager said that it was and that a new social worker had just taken up the post and would be attending the review. As with Lucy’s previous review, it was to be held at my house and Lucy could have attended, but had chosen not to, preferring to go to school instead.
Jill arrived first, ten minutes early. I made us coffee and we took it through to the living room, which I’d previously dusted, vacuumed and tidied as I had the rest of the house. Peter, the reviewing officer, arrived next. I made him a cup of coffee and then joined them in the living room.
‘I understand Lucy’s new social worker will be attending,’ Peter said. ‘Have you met her?’
‘No,’ Jill and I said.
‘I’m not expecting many to attend this review,’ Peter continued, addressing us both. ‘It seems that because no social worker has been in place the invitations to the review haven’t been sent out.’ Normally, two weeks before a review the social worker sends invitations to all parties involved with the child, but this hadn’t happened as Lucy hadn’t had a social worker. ‘I’m sure you’ll be able to tell us what we need to know about Lucy,’ Peter added, looking at me.
‘Yes, I’m sure I will,’ I said. ‘I know Lucy very well.’
We sipped our coffees, and Jill and Peter took out their notepads and pens, ready to begin as soon as the new social worker arrived. Five minutes later the doorbell rang and I went straight to answer it. A smartly dressed lady in her forties smiled at me. ‘Cathy? Have I got the right address?’
‘Yes. Come in.’
‘Sorry I’m late,’ she said, slightly flustered, offering her hand for shaking. ‘I’m Lily, Lucy’s new social worker.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ I said.
‘Sorry I didn’t have a chance to meet you and Lucy before the review,’ Lily now apologized. ‘I only took up post yesterday and it’s been rather hectic.’
‘I can imagine,’ I said. But I wondered how much use she was going to be, having just taken up post and not knowing Lucy’s case.
‘We’re through here,’ I said, leading the way down the hall and into the living room.
Peter and Jill stood, introduced themselves and shook hands with Lily. I offered her a drink, but she didn’t want one. As we settled on the sofa and chairs, Toscha, inquisitive as to who was here, sauntered in.
‘What a lovely cat,’ Lily said, and immediately rose in my estimation. ‘I bet Lucy likes her,’ she added.
‘She does,’ I said. Jill threw me a knowing smile.
Peter now officially opened the review and, as was usual practice, we introduced ourselves. He then spoke to Lily. ‘I’m assuming that as the invitations weren’t sent there will just be the four of us?’
‘Yes, I’m sorry about that,’ Lily said, apologizing again.
‘It’s not your fault,’ Peter replied. ‘We’ll send a copy of the minutes to all parties. Let’s make a start then. Cathy, would you like to begin by telling us how Lucy has been doing since her last review?’
I glanced at the sheet of paper I held where I’d listed the key points. Peter wrote as I spoke. ‘Lucy is still doing very well at home and school,’ I began. ‘She has fully integrated into my family and has a lovely relationship with my children, my parents and me. She says she loves us all, and we certainly love her. She celebrated her birthday in September and although she didn’t want to invite anyone from school we still had a lovely time.’ I then told the review what we’d done for Lucy’s birthday and about the presents she’d received.
‘Very good,’ Peter said as he wrote.
‘Lucy is still making good progress at school,’ I continued. ‘At the start of the new school year in September she went up a year with her class. I am in contact with her new form teacher, Mr Mace, and he is pleased with her progress. I sent a copy of Lucy’s end-of-year report, which included her test results, to the social services. She’s catching up fast and is now only twelve months behind her peer group.’
‘Excellent,’ Peter said. Then glancing up at Lily, he asked, ‘Do you have a copy of Lucy’s school report?’
‘Not with me,’ she said. ‘It will be on file. I’ll read it when I return to the office.’
Peter nodded, then looked to me to continue. I said that Lucy was much better at managing her anger and frustration now, and that while her eating had improved I still had concerns, as it didn’t take much for her to stop eating after an upset. I said I thought her eating problems were more to do with her emotions and past experiences than any desire to be thin. She didn’t ever say she was fat or spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, or purge herself or make herself sick, as some suffering from eating disorders do.
‘Well, that’s hopeful,’ Peter said. ‘So, we’ll continue to monitor Lucy for the present, without medical intervention?’
‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘I’m happy with that.’ I concluded my report by saying a little about the fantastic Christmas we’d had.
‘Thank you very much,’ Peter said. ‘Did Lucy see her mother at Christmas?’
‘No. There hasn’t been any face-to-face contact since the last review,’ I confirmed. ‘Although Bonnie did send her a birthday card via the social services.’
‘Oh, that reminds me,’ Lily said, dipping her hand into her briefcase. ‘There’s a Christmas card here for Lucy from Bonnie. It was left on my desk.’
Better late than never, I thought, but didn’t say. It wasn’t Lily’s fault the card was so late.
‘I opened it to make sure it was appropriate,’ Lily said, handing the card to me. It’s usual for the social worker or som
etimes the foster carer to open cards and letters from the child’s family, to make sure nothing threatening or upsetting has been written inside. This may seem intrusive, but children in care can be easily scared into silence or badly upset by an inappropriate word or comment.
‘Thank you,’ I said, and laid the card on the sofa beside me.
Peter now asked Jill if she had anything to add to what I’d said.
‘Not really,’ Jill said. ‘As Cathy’s support social worker, I visit every month and I’m pleased with the progress Lucy has made under Cathy’s care. As far as the agency is concerned, it’s been an excellent placement. Lucy has come on in leaps and bounds, and Cathy and her family have found looking after Lucy very rewarding.’
‘Thank you,’ Peter said, as he finished writing. Then turning to Lily he said, ‘I appreciate you’ve just taken up post, but can you update us as best you can, please?’
‘Yes, of course,’ Lily said, taking some papers from her briefcase. ‘I read as much as I could of the file last night, so I’ve got a feel for the case and what has been going on, although you’ll have to excuse me if I can’t answer all your questions. I also had a quick meeting with my manager this morning, and briefly spoke to the family-finding team for their update.’ I could see that Peter and Jill were as impressed as I was; Lily had been very diligent and conscientious.
‘Let’s start with the outcome of the final court hearing,’ Peter said, pen poised and ready to write.
Lily nodded. ‘The hearing wasn’t contested,’ she began. ‘The social services have been granted a Full Care Order in respect of Lucy. Bonnie was in court, but only spoke through her lawyer. Essentially, she told the judge that she was happy for Lucy to stay in long-term care, as she knew Lucy would have a better life than the one she could give her. Bonnie said she’d like to see Lucy twice a year and also be allowed to send her Christmas and birthday cards, which the social services have agreed to. However, Bonnie complained through her lawyer to the judge about the number of different foster carers Lucy has had since coming into care, and the amount of time it was taking to find Lucy a permanent home. Our lawyer explained that it was because of the matching process – that we were trying to find a permanent family for Lucy to match her cultural heritage. I understand from my manager that Bonnie’s lawyer told the judge that Bonnie hadn’t a clue what they were talking about, as Lucy was English.’
Jill and I exchanged a meaningful glance, while Peter looked up from his writing. ‘The mother has a good point,’ he said. ‘How long are the social services going to be looking for this family before they widen their search to include other families? It’s a pity we haven’t anyone from the family-finding team here.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Lily said. ‘When I spoke to the family-finding team this morning they said they were still contacting independent fostering agencies for the best match.’
Peter sighed. ‘And Lucy can’t possibly stay here with you?’ he asked.
It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘She’s OK for a Girl’
I was stunned, speechless with shock. Then I began grappling for the words I needed to reply. ‘We’d love to have Lucy stay permanently,’ I said. ‘But we’re not allowed to.’
‘What do you mean – not allowed to?’ Peter asked.
I looked at Jill to help me, and she looked at Peter as she spoke. ‘Last September Cathy told me she would like to be considered to look after Lucy long term. I said I would support her application. Lucy had settled in well with Cathy and was making good progress. However, when I approached Stevie she said she wouldn’t put Cathy’s application forward because she felt she couldn’t meet Lucy’s cultural needs.’
‘I wasn’t aware of this,’ Peter said, frowning.
‘This happened after Lucy’s last review,’ Jill clarified.
‘Are you aware of this?’ Peter now asked Lily.
‘No,’ Lily said.
‘Presumably your manager is?’
‘I would think so,’ Lily said. ‘Stevie would have discussed it with him at the time.’
Peter paused and, giving a small cough to clear his throat, looked at us all. ‘I would have liked to have been informed at the time. No one has to wait until the next review to advise a reviewing officer of a development in a case or a change in circumstances, especially when it is important. I’m contactable between reviews by phone and email. And if there is something we need to discuss I can bring forward the date of the next review.’ None of which I knew, and I doubted many other foster carers knew either.
‘I’m sorry you weren’t informed,’ Lily said, although of course she hadn’t been responsible for this.
Peter looked thoughtful and then said to Lily: ‘I appreciate you’ve only recently joined the team, but what is your view on supporting Cathy’s application, assuming she still wants to keep Lucy long term?’
‘I do,’ I said, before Lily had a chance to reply. I felt my pulse quicken and my cheeks flush. I looked at Lily and waited, as Peter and Jill were doing.
‘I don’t know,’ Lily said after a moment, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. ‘I’m not familiar with Lucy’s case, and I haven’t even met Lucy yet. I’d have to discuss it with my manager and the family-finding team. It wouldn’t just be my decision.’
‘No, I appreciate that,’ Peter said.
Jill was looking as though she was bursting to say something, but was wisely waiting to hear what else Peter had to say, for clearly he hadn’t finished yet.
‘It’s not my decision either,’ Peter continued, mainly addressing Lily. ‘But I have an opinion, and having been Lucy’s reviewing officer for two years I know the case well. I shall be including my view in the record of this review. I would like to see Cathy’s application given full consideration; indeed, I don’t really understand why it wasn’t before. If Lucy’s mother isn’t asking for a family for Lucy that matches her daughter’s dual heritage, then I don’t see why the social services should continue in their search and prolong the uncertainty for Lucy. First and foremost, Lucy needs a permanent home and a loving family, which Cathy can offer. When you return to your office, I should like you to set up a meeting with your manager and the other professionals involved in Lucy’s case, to consider the possibility of Lucy staying here as a long-term fostering placement.’
‘Yes, Sir,’ Lily said. ‘Sir’ didn’t seem out of place, given Peter’s now very authoritative manner. ‘I will,’ she said, and made a note.
Peter also wrote and then looked up. ‘Is there anything else we need to discuss?’ he asked, looking at us all.
Stunned into silence, Lily and I shook our heads. ‘No, I think we’ve covered everything,’ Jill said.
‘In that case I’ll set the date for the next review; not in six months’ time, but in a month, so we can see what progress has been made. But, Cathy,’ he said, now turning to me, ‘you can expect to hear from the social services well before the next review – within the next couple of days, and certainly by the end of the week.’
Lily nodded in agreement and made another note while I looked again at Jill. She was clearly as taken aback by this sudden development as I was, but I could also see caution in her gaze, warning me not to get my hopes up yet. It was the first time I’d been at a review when the reviewing officer had been as proactive as Peter. Usually they just recorded and reviewed. I thought it was fantastic that Peter was making full use of his role.
Having set a date for the next review for the second week in February, Peter thanked us all for attending and closed the meeting. He stood to leave, said goodbye and I saw him out. When I returned to the living room Lily was packing her papers into her briefcase. The poor woman looked quite shocked, and I wasn’t surprised, given what had happened.
‘I’ll need to see Lucy as soon as possible,’ she said, standing. ‘Can I visit you on Friday after school? I’ll have had a chance to talk to my manager by then.’ r />
‘Yes, of course,’ I said.
‘What do you think your manager will say?’ Jill now asked.
‘I don’t know,’ Lily said. ‘I haven’t discussed it with him before.’
‘He may have had a change of heart after Bonnie’s complaint in court and now the reviewing officer’s comments.’
‘I really don’t know,’ Lily said again, clearly flustered. ‘I’ll do as the reviewing officer said, I’ll speak to him and set up a meeting. I’ll phone you when I have any news.’
‘Thank you,’ I said.
Lily said goodbye to Jill and I saw her to the door. ‘I’ll phone,’ Lily said again, as she disappeared down the path towards her car.
I closed the front door and returned to the living room. My mouth was dry and my thoughts were whizzing. ‘Well, well! What a turn of events,’ I said, as I flopped down onto the sofa with a heartfelt sigh.
Jill was looking at me and was clearly as bemused as I was, but I could see that her expression was also serious. ‘Cathy, I don’t want you disappointed twice. Please don’t raise your hopes yet, and don’t say a word to the children. This could all come to nothing if the department still feels that Lucy’s needs would be better met by another family.’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘But I can hope.’
Which is what I did. I spent the rest of the day wishing, hoping and praying that Lucy would be allowed to stay.
When Lucy came home from school that afternoon, while omitting any reference to permanency, I told her about the review, which as her foster carer I was expected to do. She wasn’t really interested, but I told her who was present and that everyone was very pleased with her progress. I said that her new social worker was very pleasant, and I gave Lucy the Christmas card from her mother. ‘It was sent before Christmas,’ I said. ‘Unfortunately it got overlooked.’
Lucy didn’t comment that it was late, nor that the card had been opened. I guessed that, having been in care for some time, she was used to having her post opened. As she slid the card from the envelope, her whole face lit up. ‘Mr Bunny!’ she exclaimed. ‘Thank you, Mum.’