Demand Investigation for Social Worker Samantha Gibson

Foster Carer Nightmare Part 11

In the house, for a while, it's been me vs everyone. Marina and the two girls like to play this game where they gang up on me. The 16 year old girl always buts in and defends Marina. For example, she said that Marina was the most mature in the house. But after what I said here, that is quite laughable and incredibly hard to believe. 

To tell the truth, SHE is even MORE mature than Marina and everyone else here. I have an example. Unlike Marina's son who once took his anger out on everyone and accused us of putting the chain on the door with no proof when it was MARINA who did it, when the 16 year old girl was locked out, she was calm and she shouted my name from the window. She knew that I was the only one who was awake. She wanted my help to remove the chain from the back door so she could get in the house and hers was at 3AM when everyone was asleep! The son's own was at like 10 o'clock when everyone was awake! So that's an example of why the 16 year old seems like the most mature to me.

Now back to the ganging up topic, she always defends her just to get me off Marina's back regardless of the logic of my arguments towards her. I make very decent points. I call Marina out a lot. She always tries to play the victim card in the argument by lying about some of the things I call her out on. She doesn't own up to her own mistakes in the arguments when I say that she has done the exact same thing as I did and Marina never confronted her about it. For example, leaving the kitchen light on and the door open and then when someone else goes in, the buck gets passed to someone else. Seems like tactics are being played with her as well. She stays quiet and sides with Marina.

I also would like to bring up her son as well. He complains to Marina that I say bad things about them behind their back. The truth is, her son is 27 and should mind his business.

Another issue is that they finish the food too quickly.

I also feel ignored and taken advantage of by Marina and Social Services because I am only 14 and feel like I haven't been listened to.

I need my privacy and I feel like they are violating my personal space. Another major issue is that all my personal belongings e,g, phone, charger can be so easily accessed. There's no lockable cupboard to keep my stuff in. There's no lockable door to my bedroom.

2 months ago, (23/11/2020) from there she stopped knocking on the door and kept barging in. She doesn't record when she's been in my room and she does this every single day without fail. She is violating my personal space, she barged in and took my charger a few days ago, she has no right to do this and I told her 2 months ago that she should knock before entering but she hasn't done that. 

The rules are:

1. Planning

Suitable arrangements should exist in all foster homes and children's homes for matters relating to children's bedrooms, including security, visiting or sharing of bedrooms etc.

2. Bedroom Furniture, Facilities, Equipment and Decoration

Children's bedrooms should be pleasantly furnished, equipped and decorated in a manner appropriate to their individual needs, interests and choices.

Children should be encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, with posters, pictures and personal items of their choice.

Children of an appropriate age and level of understanding should be encouraged and supported to purchase furniture, equipment or decorations, preferably as part of a plan to prepare the child for independence.

3. Bedroom Security and Keys

Children should have adequate, safe, storage for their belongings and medicines, if permitted to administer their own.

Each child should have a lockable cupboard where they can keep personal items.

If it is necessary to do so, to protect children or their belongings, bedrooms may be fitted with locks or other forms of security. If locks are fitted, keys must be made available to children.

4. Monitoring Arrangements

Where it is necessary to install or use listening or other strategies to monitor children, these arrangements must be set out in the for individual children.

5. Staff / Carer Presence in Rooms

Children's privacy should be respected.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, residential staff/foster carers should knock the door before entering children's bedrooms; and then only enter with their permission.

The exceptional circumstances where residential staff or foster carers may have to enter a child's bedroom without knocking or asking permission are as follows:

To wake a heavy sleeper, undertake cleaning, return or remove soiled clothing; (although, in these circumstances, the child should have been told/warned that this may be necessary.)

To take necessary action, including forcing entry, to protect the child or others from injury or to prevent likely damage to property. The taking of such action is a form of .

To look for information which may help to find the whereabouts of a missing child.

To carry out maintenance and repairs to the property. (In these circumstances the child/young person should be informed and permission sought wherever possible.)

When entering a child's bedroom when they are not there, there should be respect for the child's privacy, for example if documents or the child's diary have been left out, they should not be routinely inspected, unless a specific risk has been identified and recorded.

Residential staff/foster carers should always record when they have entered a child's bedroom and share the recording with the child.

6. Visiting and Sharing Rooms

Children should have their own bedrooms wherever possible.

The risks associated with a child sharing a bedroom must be assessed as part of the placement planning process before a decision is made to allow this and the outcome of the assessment should be shared in full with foster carers prior to the child's placement.

The risks associated with a child receiving visitors in his/her bedroom should also be assessed before it is allowed. Where visitors are allowed in the child's bedroom, the door should always be kept open while the visitor is there.

Children may not share bedrooms or receive visitors in their bedrooms unless this has been agreed by the social worker, the children's views and wishes have been obtained and considered, and the arrangements are outlined in the relevant Placement Information Record.

https://kirkleeschildcare.proceduresonline.com/p_child_bedroom.html

I can't stay here. I want to go back to my Mum and I want her to be responsible for my education. I miss my Mum and my brother and I want to go back.

Isimioluwa Ekerendu

23/01/21

Jesus IS Lord!