Case Study D - Safe Steps
Gavin had been in and out of foster care for over four years. Some of the placements were good ones, and Gavin had positive memories of them. Some of them were less good. They all however had something in common; they had disrupted after a few weeks or months, primarily because of Gavin’s behaviour and his desire to be back with his mother. However, this time at home was more unstable than foster placements, as his mother’s ambivalence towards him resulted in her demanding that the local authority re-accommodate him as soon as he presented the slightest challenge, or just became inconvenient. Gavin was an angry child, but was still desperate to be liked and cared for, even at 13 years old
When the most recent foster placement broke down after Gavin had run away to his mothers for perhaps the twentieth time, the local authority seriously considered long-term residential care as the only option likely to give this child stability. Further, repeated placement disruption had had a terrible effect on Gavin’s educational progress. Yet this seemed like a drastic step to take for someone who benefited from being in a stable family environment. Safe Steps perhaps offered this solution.
A short-term residential placement that could provide a period of stability and comprehensive social, psychological and educational assessment during which a specialist solo family placement would be found to meet Gavin’s needs seemed ideal. Gavin was in crisis and needed the right placement within 24 hours.
Gavin was disorientated and confused when he arrived. There had been little time for preparation, and his only previous, experience of residential care had been an unpleasant weekend emergency in a local authority home.
Gavin had a history of deliberately breaking things, especially his own possessions. He also had a long history of running away, sometimes heading toward his mother’s home, and sometimes just wandering the streets. He’d also often put himself at risk, getting into strangers cars. He could be verbally aggressive, often threatening others, although never carrying these threats out. He would also often climb onto a nearby roof when distressed (behaviour that had seen him excluded from a previous school).
To begin with it was essential Gavin understood how ‘Safe Steps’ worked, and what it could do for him. He was told from the outset that the intention was to find him a foster family that would work for him, and that the cycle of placement disruption would end. It was also necessary to confront head on the issue of his relationship with his mother, and how this would work successfully for him. This would mean, as he is gradually learning to accept, he could not return there to live in the foreseeable future. Similarly, if the placement was to be successful, mum needed to feel an important part of Gavin’s future, and that her views were listened to. Without Mum onside it was likely she would deliberately or otherwise, disrupt the placement.
Inevitably, as Gavin had moved from placement to placement, his behaviour had been more extreme and difficult to manage. Though well within the capabilities of experienced residential staff, it would present a challenge to any foster carers. With ‘The Lawns’ psychologist, the staff team developed positive and successful ways of addressing Gavin. In part he responded well to opportunities for an active life, in particular playing football for a local team. Every effort was made to ‘normalise’ Gavin’s social-life away from the residential home. In terms of addressing negative behaviour, triggers were isolated and distractions that worked developed. When a ‘match’ with foster carers from was made, not only was the importance of Gavin’s active social-life emphasised but a detailed series of proactive and positive approaches shown to them to address some of his more negative behaviours.
After around 16 weeks of preparation, the process of moving Gavin to Foster Carers began in earnest. Firstly the proposed carers worked alongside care staff at The Lawns, learning from them the most successful approaches. Then, when Gavin was ready to visit his proposed new home, care staff stayed with the foster family guiding and supporting them, and providing continuity and reassurance to Gavin. Eventually Gavin was ready to move full time, but this did mean the end of contact with his residential carers, of whom some he had developed significant relationships. Although leadership in Gavin’s case switches from the Marlowe to Pathway Care, the close working relationship between foster carers and the residential team continued. Care staff supported Gavin and his carers in maintaining his active social-life. Marlowe’s psychologist continued to work with him individually, as well as provide essential advice and support to the foster family. They also continued to support contact between Gavin and his mother.
Most significantly Gavin continued to attend Marlowe Education Unit (his foster parents lived a short car journey from the school). Although he was keen to eventually integrate into mainstream school, his educational needs and statement meant that he needed the small classes, individual tuition and the behaviour management expertise available in a special school environment for a little while longer. Further the school also provided an additional element of continuity to help Gavin manage the transition between ‘The Lawns’ and his foster family.
After three successful months with the foster carers, the number of hours support Gavin required from his former residential carers diminished. After six months this reduced still further. However, Gavin found even a small element of on-going contact helpful and supportive, as did the foster carers.
Finally Gavin has settled into a family placement without him or his mother (or a combination of both) disrupting the placement. He is enjoying what family living has to offer without feeling disloyal to his mother. Whilst his behaviour remains challenging at times his foster carers are confident they have the skills and support to continue to manage this successfully. With any luck, Gavin will not need residential care again.
For reasons of confidentiality, and out of respect for the privacy and dignity of the children and young people concerned, names and other incidental details have been changed to obscure their identity. However, in all of the important details, these case studies are an actual summary of what happened. All imagery used has been created purely for artistic effect by Marlowe Child & Family Services and is ©copyrighted by the owner.
