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.