by Cathy Glass
‘What’s all this about?’ Edith asked. I had told her about the two men waiting outside the school, but clearly she’d forgotten. I briefly explained, and she made a note.
‘You haven’t seen them since I spoke to them?’ the Head asked me.
‘No, and I’ve checked with Oskar a few times and he hasn’t either.’
We sat in silence as we waited; the only sound came from the old-fashioned wall clock as it ticked off the minutes. At 2.15 footsteps could be heard approaching in the corridor outside and the door opened. The IRO came in first, followed by Andrew and Mr Nowak. My stomach clenched to a tight ball. I recognized Mr Nowak. True, he wasn’t one of the men in the car, but I had seen him a few times on the opposite side of the road to the school when I’d collected Oskar. He was tall and distinguished-looking, with quite sharp features, so easily recognizable. Whether Oskar had seen him I didn’t know; he certainly hadn’t said anything to me.
‘Do sit down,’ the IRO said as he and Andrew returned to their seats.
‘No, thank you. I stand,’ Mr Nowak replied in broken English. ‘I have something to say and then I go.’ All eyes were on him and he met my gaze. In that moment I knew he realized I’d recognized him. ‘I left Oskar’s bag downstairs,’ he said, and I nodded.
‘The secretary has it in her office,’ Andrew told me.
‘Thank you,’ I said quietly. I wasn’t sure at what point I should say I recognized him.
He remained standing as he spoke and addressed us all. I guessed he’d rehearsed what he had to say: ‘The boy’s mother works hard. She has a sick son. It’s bad she has to worry about Oskar. It is wrong he has been taken away. I know her for many years. She is a good mother but has a hard life. You must give her son back to her. That is what I came to say.’
While this appeared commendable and his sentiment well meant, I was concerned as to why he had been waiting outside the school, and it was clear he had little understanding of the function of a review.
‘Thank you, Mr Nowak,’ the IRO said, glancing up from his laptop as he paused from typing. ‘I have noted your comments. I’m afraid reviews like this cannot change the decision of the court. Oskar will need to remain in foster care until the judge hears all the evidence and makes a decision on where he will live permanently.’
‘He should live with his mother,’ Mr Nowak replied more sharply.
‘That will be for the judge to decide,’ the IRO said. ‘Has Roksana seen a solicitor?’
Mr Nowak looked puzzled and I guessed it was the term solicitor he didn’t understand.
‘Yes,’ Andrew said. Then to Mr Nowak: ‘Roksana saw a lawyer for legal advice.’
‘He told her it take months before court,’ Mr Nowak said. ‘October. The boy has to go home now.’
‘I’m afraid that’s not possible,’ the IRO said firmly as the rest of us remained quiet. ‘I suggest Roksana talks to her lawyer if she has concerns. Is there anything else you wish to say?’
‘It’s bad you have her son,’ he said quite vehemently.
‘I’ve noted your comments,’ the IRO said. ‘Is that everything?’
While this had been going on, I’d become increasingly convinced that I should say something about him being outside the school. Certainly, I would tell Andrew after the meeting, but then I found myself saying: ‘Mr Nowak, I’ve seen you waiting outside the school when I’ve collected Oskar.’
Everyone looked at me and then at Mr Nowak, their expressions serious. ‘I tell his mother he is OK,’ he replied. ‘That is why I look. She worries but has to work, so she asks me.’
The Head and Miss Jordan were clearly surprised by his admission and unaware he had been outside the school.
‘I think it’s better if you don’t wait outside the school any more,’ the IRO said firmly. ‘It could worry and unsettle Oskar. If Roksana wants to know about her son, she can ask her social worker, Andrew, and she sees Oskar at contact.’
‘It is not right!’ Mr Nowak said. ‘The boy should be home with his mother!’ Turning, he headed for the door.
‘I’ll see you out,’ the Head said, standing, and quickly followed him.
As the door closed, I wasn’t the only one who breathed a sigh of relief, and I felt sorry for Miss Jordan, who had experienced such a disruptive start to her first review.
Chapter Thirteen
Review
While we waited for the Head Teacher to return to the review, the IRO asked me how often I had seen Mr Nowak outside the school. I said I couldn’t be sure, but I thought three or four times, and that Oskar had never mentioned it. Miss Jordan said Oskar hadn’t told her either and drew the conclusion that Mr Nowak’s presence wasn’t therefore worrying Oskar.
‘Or it might be that he felt he couldn’t tell us,’ I said. ‘I have the feeling there’s a lot Oskar should be telling us but isn’t.’
She gave a slow, thoughtful nod. ‘He is very quiet in school. He always has been.’
‘I’ll speak to his mother again,’ Andrew said, ‘and make sure she understands she can have more contact if she wishes, but that it isn’t appropriate for her to send anyone to wait outside the school.’
The IRO agreed that was advisable.
It was now 2.30 and the review hadn’t properly started. Usually they last for about an hour, but clearly we were going to overrun. Five minutes later the Head returned and the IRO asked her if Mr Nowak had left.
‘Yes, he wasn’t any trouble,’ she said, returning to her seat. ‘I think he’s sincere. We’ve had a chat and he has promised he won’t hang around outside the school again, although of course that remains to be seen. I’ve had this problem before with children in care and those whose parents are separating. The estranged parent knows where the school is and what time the child comes out, so they wait to catch a glimpse of them. It’s sad, really.’ She had said similar to me before about the two men in the car.
‘But it’s still unsettling for the child,’ Edith said, and I agreed.
The IRO now asked me to give my report and I glanced at my notes. I always like to start with the positives. ‘Oskar is a lovely child, kind, sensitive and caring,’ I said as the IRO typed. ‘He likes school and learning and has no behavioural problems, either at home or at school. I’ve suggested he might like to invite a friend home to play and he’s thinking about it.’ I paused to allow the IRO time to catch up.
‘Oskar is in good health,’ I continued. ‘I took him for his medical, and also dental and opticians check-ups. He doesn’t need glasses and his teeth are in good condition. However, he appears quite anxious and withdrawn most of the time and I understand Andrew has made a referral to CAMHS.’ I paused again and glanced at my notes.
‘Oskar sees his mother at the Family Centre for an hour twice a week and has phone contact on the other nights. Oskar is fine about attending and isn’t upset afterwards.’
‘Is he excited at the prospect of seeing his mother?’ the IRO asked.
‘Not really excited. I would say more accepting – he seems to accept whatever comes his way.’
‘That’s worrying,’ the IRO said as he typed.
‘It is,’ I agreed.
‘And the phone contact? How is that?’ he asked.
‘They both seem to find it quite difficult. Their conversations are very short, no more than a couple of minutes, and they don’t really say much. I suppose it could be because I am listening. Andrew asked me to monitor the phone contact.’
The IRO nodded and typed.
‘Oskar has been having nightmares,’ I continued. ‘Although he won’t talk about them afterwards, he seems to be fighting someone off and telling them to leave him alone. He also appears to be wary around adult men. I’ve noticed it with my son, my brother and also when Andrew visited him.’ Andrew nodded.
‘Has this been noticed in school?’ the IRO as
ked the Head.
‘We don’t have any male teachers here, only a male teaching assistant and he’s not in Oskar’s class. We have a male caretaker, but there’s no reason for Oskar to come into contact with him.’
The IRO looked to me to continue.
‘Oskar is very anxious about undressing in front of anyone. I give him privacy when he has a bath and gets ready for bed. In my experience most children his age aren’t self-conscious. He was very worried about being examined at his medical. I don’t know if the paediatrician mentioned it in her report.’
‘Yes, she did,’ Andrew confirmed.
‘How is he about changing for PE?’ the Head asked Miss Jordan.
She hesitated and then said, ‘I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but Oskar doesn’t change with the other children. He always says he has to use the toilet and when he comes out he’s changed. I probably should have reported it, but I didn’t think anything of it.’ She looked worried and I threw her a reassuring smile.
‘Has there been any suggestion that Oskar has been sexually abused?’ the IRO asked Andrew.
‘No, but of course it is possible.’
‘I have the feeling Oskar has secrets that he’s too scared to tell,’ I now said, addressing the IRO. ‘He wrote on his review form that he wanted to stay with me, as it wasn’t safe at home.’
‘Really?’ Miss Jordan gasped.
‘I saw that,’ the IRO said.
‘I asked Oskar if he could tell me why he didn’t feel safe at home, but he couldn’t. It might come out in time or in therapy, but I understand there is a long waiting list for CAMHS.’
‘There is,’ Andrew confirmed. ‘Oskar’s case isn’t classified as urgent.’
The IRO finished typing and looked up. ‘Thank you, Cathy. Is there anything else you want to add?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘And Oskar can stay with you for as long as necessary?’ It was a standard question at a review.
‘Yes.’
‘Thank you. Would you like to give your report next?’ the IRO asked Andrew. All eyes turned to him.
Andrew began by confirming the date Oskar had been brought into care, the reasons and the type of court order granted. ‘Roksana was abroad at the time because her other son, Luka, was ill,’ he said. ‘Luka lives with her sister. Since Roksana returned I have met with her three times, once at her home address.’
‘Is Luka the only other sibling?’ the IRO asked.
‘Yes,’ Andrew confirmed, and continued his report. ‘While Roksana was abroad she left Oskar in the care of various adults in the house where she lives. Oskar refers to them as aunts and uncles, but none of them are related to him. Initially Roksana was adamant that Oskar was always clean, well fed and being looked after, but she has since admitted that because of the long hours she works she is rarely at home and relies heavily on the others in the house. In reality, she has very little input into Oskar’s daily care and says he is self-sufficient.’
‘Is Roksana there in the morning to make Oskar breakfast and take him to school?’ the IRO asked.
‘No. One of her jobs is as an office cleaner with a start time of six in the morning.’
‘And the evening?’ the IRO asked.
‘She’s rarely home before ten.’
I saw Elaine Summer frown. ‘We’ve only seen her at the school once,’ she said. ‘When she first registered Oskar.’
‘That’s feasible,’ Andrew said. ‘Others in the house have been bringing Oskar and collecting him, and making him meals and so forth. At any one time there are between twelve and sixteen adults living in the house and they share child-care.’
‘Are there other children living there now?’ the IRO asked.
‘Not at present, and we’re trying to trace the children who have been living there. Some have returned abroad to live, but others have moved within the UK. I’ve had to tell Roksana that the house, as it is, isn’t suitable for children.’
‘No, indeed,’ the Head agreed.
‘I’ve seen similar multiple-occupancy houses,’ Andrew continued, ‘and standards vary. They are often used by students and immigrant workers on zero-hours contracts, as the rents are low. Roksana’s house was reasonably clean when I visited, but it is badly overcrowded and I’ve alerted the council, who will be assessing it.’
‘So just to clarify,’ the IRO said. ‘No one person in the house was responsible for Oskar when his mother was away or at work?’
‘That’s correct,’ Andrew said.
‘And those living in the house are all well known to her?’
‘No. A couple are friends she has known for a few years, but most of the others she doesn’t know well. Some hadn’t been there for long.’
The IRO nodded, the Head frowned again and Andrew continued. ‘Initially Roksana was adamant no one in the house would harm Oskar and that he must have sustained the bruise on his face by falling over. She has now admitted that one of the men who was living in the house could have hit Oskar in anger. He was only there a few months but had a drink problem and a bad temper. She said one of the women told her that while she was away Oskar was cheeky to him, so he slapped him, hard.’
‘Cheeky!’ I exclaimed in disbelief. ‘I can’t imagine Oskar being cheeky to anyone!’
‘Neither can I,’ Miss Jordan added.
‘Where did Oskar sleep at home?’ the IRO asked Andrew.
‘In a sleeping bag, on a mattress on the floor. All those living there have a sleeping bag. Four of the rooms have mattresses covering the floors, one of the rooms is used as a sitting room and they share the kitchen and bathroom. There is also a shower cubicle on each floor, but Roksana said only one works.’
‘Who sleeps in the same room as Oskar?’ the IRO asked, frowning.
‘Other women he calls aunts.’
‘Always women? No men?’ he asked.
‘Not according to Roksana. The single men have their own bedroom, and the couples have the two other bedrooms.’
‘So presumably the mother thought these arrangements were acceptable?’ the IRO asked.
Elaine Summer threw me a knowing look and I guessed we were thinking the same: living in an overcrowded house with strangers and so little parenting, Oskar was highly vulnerable – anything might have happened to him.
‘Yes,’ Andrew replied. ‘Roksana said in her country most families have very basic accommodation and many share, as it’s the only way to earn enough money to survive. I have had to make it clear to her that we don’t consider it appropriate for a child to live like that here.’
Andrew glanced at his notes again. ‘Contact,’ he said, moving on. ‘It is twice a week for an hour at the Family Centre. I was present at the first contact and I’ve read the supervisor’s notes for the others. Roksana has attended each session but was late for one. The contact supervisor noted that Roksana and Oskar appear to struggle to interact and play together. Roksana is often anxious and constantly checks her phone. Oskar is very quiet and usually amuses himself by looking at books. A few times Roksana tried to tell him that his aunts and uncles in the house were good people and missed him and wanted him home. Oskar looked very worried and the supervisor intervened and told Roksana it was making Oskar anxious and shouldn’t be discussed. I will attend contact again in a month.’
‘Thank you,’ the IRO said. ‘And the care plan is the same?’ It was a standard question.
‘That’s right,’ Andrew said. ‘Oskar will remain in care. There are no plans to return him home.’
‘Miss Jordan, would you like to go next?’ the IRO said.
She flushed up as she began. ‘I have printed copies of Oskar’s PEP,’ she said. ‘Shall I hand them out?’
‘Yes, please,’ the IRO said.
PEP stands for Personal Education Plan and it is a document drawn
up to help a child in care reach their full potential. It shows where the child is now in their learning and sets out targets and actions for the coming term. It forms part of the care plan. As I looked at Oskar’s PEP it was clear that academically he was doing well but he needed to participate more in class. Miss Jordan gave us a moment to read the PEP and then began her report.
‘Oskar is a pleasant and studious member of my class. He applies himself well to tasks and gets on with his work without any fuss. He is working above average in all the core subjects, English, maths and science. However, he is very quiet and needs a lot of encouragement to participate in group discussion. Prior to him coming into care, I had very little to do with his care-givers, but now I see Cathy regularly in the playground. Oskar disclosed to me about how he got the bruise, but he hasn’t given me any more details since. I would pass it on to Elaine Summer and Cathy if he did. When Oskar was first taken from his mother I was very worried for him, but now I can see how much he has improved. He arrives at school on time and is clean. I just wish he was happier. That’s it, really.’ She sat back, relieved.
‘Thank you,’ the IRO said. ‘Why do you think Oskar is unhappy?’
‘I don’t know, perhaps because of what has happened to him. He looks sad most of the time, but he won’t tell me why.’
‘I understand,’ the IRO said as he typed, then he looked at Elaine Summer: ‘Would you like to add anything?’
‘Yes, but it’s more about procedure than about Oskar specifically. Miss Jordan has covered that. We reported our concerns that Oskar was being neglected when he first began attending this school at the start of the year, then again a month later when I spoke to a social worker – not Andrew – but nothing happened until Oskar came to school with a bruise while his mother was away. Why the delay?’
‘I am sorry,’ Andrew said, meeting her gaze. ‘There seems to have been a breakdown in communication. I’ll pass on what you’ve said.’ He made a note.
So often a member of staff is the first to notice signs of neglect or abuse in a child they teach, as they see them most days. There are reporting strategies in place to make sure these concerns are looked into, but clearly something had gone wrong here.