Whenever a new child comes we get a dossier on what's known about them. But the information is a molehill compared to the mountain that you quickly pick up about them.
Take Saul, with us for a wee while now. Social Services are beavering on getting him back home and things are on track there.
But he's been under our roof for a few weeks now and we're getting to know him in the round.
For example; like many children coming into Care, he doesn't like going downstairs in front of people. You can easily guess what that's about.
He doesn't like green food but loves anything brown. Normal. I camouflage his greens hidden in soups and pasta sauces.
He doesn't like school, that's normal. He likes watches. That's... unusual.
See, fostering is made up of a bunch of skills, most of which we pick up en route, though the training helps. However I've never been on a training session to develop sleuthing skills, but it makes a big difference if you can put 2 and 2 together and get 4.
I wear a watch as does my other half, younger people tend not to. Saul keeps on about our watches, he wants to know what make they are and how they work. Likes to listen to the slight noise they make, and asks if he can twiddle the little wheel to re-set the hands.
I mentioned his fixation to our Blue Sky Social Worker a while ago and she was equally nonplussed.
But she went away and discussed it with colleagues, partly because Social Workers have to be the ultimate Sherlock Holmes. They enjoy unravelling a mystery behaviour in a child. They like to try to get to the bottom of things.
Of course I've asked Saul why he loves watches but he simply says "I just do." The fact is maybe he himself DOESN'T KNOW.
Anyway.
So earlier this week our SW came by and we had our usual 2 hours natter at the kitchen table. One of the many great things about fostering is that you get regular visits from a trained professional whose job is to make sure you're ok. Brilliant. Only this time she came up with a really left-field possible explanation for Saul's watch thing. You ready for this?
Saul's real dad is not on the scene, but he gets talked about a lot because the man in Saul's mum's life hates Saul's real dad but Saul's real dad is Saul's hero, at least Saul likes him more than his mum's boyfriend (which knowing what I know is not surprising).
Saul's real dad is no angel in reality, he's got various convictions, has various ongoing 'habits' and has no known whereabouts. However…
Due to his lifestyle he has had heart problems such that he's been fitted with a pace maker.
It's called a Watchman and that's how Saul's father was referred to in his home throughout Saul's early years. Saul's mum and her boyfriends talked about the mysterious and almost Batman-like character as "The Watchman". Saul would get Christmas and birthday presents from this man and might just have come to idolise a man who barely existed but was nevertheless his "Dad". The Watchman.
Have they got this one right?
Probably/possibly.
Social Workers are not only among the kindest professionals you could meet.
They are also among the sharpest.
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