now lives in a children’s
home. In the past year
she has been in five
separate institutions
because her behaviour is
considered so disruptive
that they cannot manage
her. She has aggressive
outbursts and is
impulsive and chaotic.
To anaesthetise herself
to the realities of her life,
she has started drinking
heavily. If you thought
her story couldn’t get
any worse, last month,
while drunk in a park
late at night, she was
raped. At such a young
age, she doesn’t have the
words to articulate how
she is feeling, so instead
she communicates her
despair by self-harming.
This time she has cut
herself so deeply that she
has had to be admitted
to hospital.
After speaking to Joanna, I spend
the next six hours trying to get her
the help she so desperately needs.
As she has no family, social services
are acting in loco parentis, yet they
inform me when I eventually get
through to them after hours of trying,
they are too busy to come and take
her home.
It is telling that there are no adults
involved enough in Joanna’s care
to take responsibility
for her. What she needs
more than anything is
a parental figure; one
person to show her the
affection and warmth
that has been so lacking
throughout the most
formative years of her
life. I was despairing as
to what could be done.
Then I chanced upon
a name in the notes:
Margaret. She was a
support worker for the
NSPCC working with
vulnerable children
who had met Joanna
as part of an outreach
project. I phoned the
number and Margaret
answered. I explained
what happened.
“It’s my day off ”, she
began. My heart sank. “So
I can get there straight
away”, she chirped.
In half an hour Margaret was on
the ward, sitting with Joanna. There
are no simple solutions and no quick
fixes for Joanna. But Margaret was
a start. People like her are unsung
heroes. They are quietly, doggedly
making a difference to youngsters
lives. “I’ll take her home and I’m
going to make sure she always knows
she can speak to me whenever she
wants. I’ll be there for her”, said
Margaret. I nearly kissed her. QDECEMBER 2021 • 47THEY ARE
QUIETLY,
DOGGEDLY
MAKING A
DIFFERENCE
TO
YOUNGSTERS’
LIVES