|
 Susie is 11 and her school attendance is
irregular. When in school, she is often tired and she is often very
untidyly dressed and her hair looks dirty. She is quite a “bossy”
girl and has difficulty making friends. Some of the younger
children feel bullied and intimidated by her, and the school is
getting more and more worried about her behaviour.
Mum is a single parent and has twice been
invited to come to school to discuss Susie’s behaviour and
attendance, but she has not turned up on either occasion. An
Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is allocated to the case and, on
making a home visit, discovers that Mum is suffering from bipolar
illness. Mum has medication but does not always take it,
which results in good and bad days and accounts for Susie’s
erratic attendance. The reason for Susie’s bossy behaviour also
soon becomes apparent as she needs to “boss” mum to get her to take
her medication, and as well as looking after Mum’s well being.She
is trying to be a parent to her 9 year old brother Jake.
The Whole Family Plan. The
local Community Mental Heath team (CMHT) review mum's case and
assess both the management of her illness and her needs as a
parent. CMHT set up monitoring process to ensure medication is
taken. Susie’s mum agrees to start attending a voluntary drop in
day centre once a week to seek support and advice on self-managing
her condition. Both children are assessed under the Common
Assessment Framework and support is offered to support them.
The Behaviour support team meets with the school to implement a
plan to support Susie to reduce her “ bossy” behaviour and monitor
her attendance. She is also given learning support to help to catch
up with work that she has missed. The Educational Welfare
Officer also contacts the local young carers project to see if
Susie can get support from them. It is decided that the services
she needs are befriending and to go to the homework club. The
project will also give her information about bipolar illness. Jake
is offered a place at the local church Saturday activity club and
is also given information about bipolar illness.
|