"Tomorrow is your first review" May-Li explained. She had an iPad in her hand with a useful website on it.
"Your review is a meeting you will have with your social worker and an independent reviewing officer where we all speak about your needs. We may also look at things we can get in place to support you" May-Li explained. She handed Farah the iPad and allowed her to look through the page.
"My dad won't be there?" She questioned. May-Li shook her head. Farah nodded.
"Do I have to talk?" Farah asked.
"It would be helpful if you could" May-Li said "But we are not going to force you. This is your review, and everything will go at your pace"
Farah nodded.
"What will be discussed?" She asked.
"Well we will speak about what we are doing here to help you and ask you if there is anything, you'd like us to do. Your social worker will talk through what is going on with your parents and any leads she is following. We will speak about what your next steps are. As it's the summer holiday, your schoolteacher won't be there but usually they are involved too. If it is completed during school time, we will hold the meeting at your school or after school" May-Li explained and Farah agreed.
"Farah, did you go to school?" May-Li asked as it dawned on her that she had never actually asked the girl.
"I did until the end of year 1. I haven't been since" Farah explained.
"How are you so good at reading and writing then" May-Li asked.
"Mum made me do a lot of work out with school. I knew a lot by the time I was 7. Then when we moved, I just found a library and went when Dad was sleeping" Farah explained, and May-Li nodded. She would have thought that if Farah had a library card she would have been on the system.
"Did you have a library card?" She asked and Farah nodded.
"In dad's name though, you had to be an adult" Farah explained, and May-Li nodded.
"We can get you your own one for here?" May-Li suggested. Farah smiled. She did like that idea. They spoke for a bit longer before May-Li told Farah it was time to get ready for bed.
The following day
The following morning came too quickly for Farah. She was nervous about her review and was up and dressed by 6:30. After spending some time in her room, she couldn't stand it any longer and walked down the stairs. She saw that May-Li was setting breakfast up.
"You are up early today" May-Li said. During the school holidays, breakfast was often served between 7:30 and 8:30. At the weekend, it was not served until 9.
"I didn't sleep great" Farah admitted. She was finding it easier to speak to May-Li now and hoped that this would continue.
"Oh no, are you worried about today?" May-Li asked, and Farah looked down and nodded. She was so embarrassed about being nervous for the meeting.
"There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about. This meeting is all about making sure that we are all supporting you in the best way possible" May-Li explained, and Farah nodded. May-Li put her arm around the girl and for the first time she leant towards her. It wasn't a proper hug, but it was the closest she had gotten to someone in her time here.
Floss walked into the room just at that time.
"Why have you got your arm around May-Li? I thought you didn't like being touched" Floss asked and instantly Farah moved her arm away and ran up the stairs.
"Floss, there was no need for that. You never make a comment when I hug any of the other children. What have you got against Farah?" May-Li asked.
"Just don't like her" Floss said glaring.
"Well you are going to have to learn how to deal with it because Farah isn't going anywhere" May-Li stated.
Everyone started filing into the kitchen and May-Li didn't have time to see Farah until all of the children had eaten and the kitchen was tidied up. May-Li looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for her review which started at 10. She ran up the stairs and knocked on Farah's bedroom door.
Farah stood up and opened the door allowing May-Li in.
"Are you coming down? It's almost time for your review" May-Li said, and Farah looked close to tears.
"Sweetie are you upset about what Floss said because just you ignore her. I think she is jealous of you, but I don't know why" May-Li said, and Farah shook her head.
"She doesn't like me because I'm in her room but that's not it. I'm scared to go to this thing" Farah said. May-Li nodded her head understanding why Floss was mad but still that wasn't a sufficient reason to treat Farah like this and sat down on the bed.
"This review is for your own good, we want you there because we will be talking about you but if you want to leave then all you have to do is say" May-Li explained and Farah nodded. She liked that idea better.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, and they left to answer it. First to arrive with the Independent reviewing officer (IRO). Usually the IRO meets the young person prior to the review but due to timing this was not possible.
"Hello, my name is Karen, are you Farah?" Karen asked smiling and looking at Farah. The girl nodded nervously and took a step closer to May-Li and hide behind her. May-Li was a couple of inches taller than Farah, but Farah was not small enough to hid behind her, it was more of a safety net.
"Shall we go to the quiet room while we wait. I think Mike will be there for the beginning and then he will leave" May-Li explained "Is that okay Farah? Or would you rather I left, and Mike stayed?"
Farah shook her head and pointed to May-Li. Now that there was another person present, she was unable to speak again. May-Li nodded and then encouraged the girl to go into the quiet room.
Karen tried to make conversation with Farah but was only getting head movements. She had read the file so was aware of the girl's selective mutism. Helen was next to arrive, and Mike showed her to the quiet room and followed behind.
They started the review by going around and stating who they were and their relation to the case. When it was Farah's turn, she looked at May-Li and indicated for her to speak.
"This is Farah, I have spoken to her about what today in holds" May-Li explained.
"I thought Farah was speaking now" Helen said tutting and looking around. This girl was making her job very challenging.
"Farah has spoken to me but that does not mean that this is all fixed. Selective mutism is not about choosing who you speak to and who you don't. It's that her brain doesn't allow her to speak at times" May-Li explained. Helen rolled her eyes. May-Li's mouth dropped, and she was nearly ready to say something but knew she needed to be professional for Farah.
"Well, I'm guessing we aren't going to get very far today if Farah is still refusing to speak" Helen said. This was enough for Farah to start fidgeting. May-Li took her hand and the girl's eyes pleaded with the woman. She nervously moved towards May-Li's ear.
"Too much" She said before looking back at May-Li close to tears.
"Well done, go and calm down. I'll call you down in a bit and bring your notebook with you" May-Li said softly, and Farah nodded.
"Don't worry Farah. Thank you for trying to be here" Karen said kindly and Farah nodded before leaving.
"It's not an issue Farah not being here. We just need to add it to her minutes. Hopefully in time she will join us" Karen said and May-Li smiled. She liked this woman.
"Now Mike, May-Li what can you tell us about Farah?" Karen asked.
"May-Li, do you want to handle this as you have a better relationship with Farah?" Mike said and May-Li nodded. Mike excused himself to go and check on the other children.
"Farah has settled in well. She gets on well with most of the children here, both older and younger. She does her chores without being asked and is tidy. She does struggle with contact and communication which we have been working on. We started with a notebook which is how she communicates with the other children and Mike. She has also within the last few days started speaking to myself. We hope that this continues" May-Li explained, and Karen nodded.
"Has she spoken much about her home life?" Karen asked and May-Li shook her head.
"No, she hasn't spoken about either of her parents. She told me that she went to school until she was 7 and that her mum used to make her do a lot of extra work. She doesn't like speaking about her mother or father. She was very nervous about the fact that dad might be at the review" May-Li said.
"How did she get that idea?" Karen asked.
"I showed her the site about LAC Reviews which we have for explaining these procedures with the children" May-Li said, and Karen nodded. She answered a few more questions before moving onto Helen.
"I have referred Farah to the speech and language therapist to find out about her selective mutism. There were themes of abuse during her medical. Both physical and sexual" Helen said.
"Has she said who is responsible?" Karen asked and May-Li shook her head.
"I haven't asked her about it" May-Li said "I couldn't do it at the doctors"
Karen nodded.
"Dad has been granted bail and is asking for contact with Farah. He is planning to apply for custody" Helen then said.
"What? Even though she suffered abuse and neglect" May-Li said.
"We don't have any proof that it was him. He says that he left Farah with her mother while he was in prison" Helen said.
"Well isn't it important that we ask Farah if her father was involved?" May-Li asked.
"If you ask her, she'll say yes. You have too close a relationship with her, you will just put ideas into her head" Helen said.
"But she won't speak to anyone else" May-Li said.
"I will tell Farah when you go and get her. Contact will be here tomorrow. You or Mike will need to supervise" Helen said.
"It is safe to be here" May-Li asked, and Helen nodded.
"Currently he doesn't pose a threat" Helen said. Karen felt very stuck in the middle.
"May-Li will you go and get Farah. Helen, do you mind taking a back seat just now. See if May-Li can get through to Farah. Let's not mention her father until the end" Karen explained, and May-Li agreed. She disappeared up the stairs to bring Farah down. The girl agreed and came down with her notebook.
She entered the room and instantly sat right next to May-Li.
"Hello Farah, I just wanted to get your view on living here" Karen said, and Farah quickly wrote that she really enjoyed it here. May-Li read the answers out for all to hear. Karen continue to ask Farah questions about her time here and the girl relaxed.
They outlined next steps for Farah, which included making her bedroom her own, working with the speech and language therapist and to continue developing relationships in the hope that she will feel more comfortable to speak to others. They were just packing up when Helen putted in.
"Farah, your father is out on bail. He will be coming to see you tomorrow for contact" Helen said and instantly Farah froze.
"In the future, I would like contact to be brought up as a question. Farah is at an age now where her opinions matter and that is what I hope to do. Farah, are you okay to see your father?" Karen asked. Farah kept her head down; she couldn't look up. How was this happening? She thought she was safe here.
"See she isn't going to response. Your father will be here tomorrow at 11 o'clock for an hour" Helen said before leaving. Farah disappeared to her bedroom without saying another word. She couldn't even look at them.
"I want a very close eye kept on Farah and her father tomorrow. Everything must be recorded, and you must not leave them alone. Even for a minute" Karen said to May-Li who nodded.
"I can't do anything about contact if it has been granted but if she says anything about any form of neglect from her father, you must document it instantly" Karen said, and May-Li nodded. This was something May-Li always did but now she knew just how important it was to be on guard at all times.
"Should I bring contact up with Farah?" May-Li asked.
"It's really hard because it is tomorrow. We want to know who has abused her but we also don't want to plant ideas in her head. If you feel you can be mutual then talk to her about it. However, if there is any chance something you say might influence Farah's view, don't say it. It might also be better for both of you to talk to Farah about it as you will have each other for back up if anything is said" Karen said and May-Li nodded.
"She won't speak in front of Mike though. I'll see what we can do" May-Li said before showing Karen out.
May-Li went up the stairs to check on Farah. She was surprised to see that the girl was packing her belongings.
"What are you doing?" May-Li asked and Farah grabbed the notebook and scribbled something down.
Moving in with Jody.
"Are you sure? I hope this isn't because of Floss" May-Li said and Farah shook her head. It wasn't.
"Well I best go and tell Floss" May-Li said leaving the room. She was annoyed that Farah was back not speaking to her. She knew how selective mutism worked and didn't hold it against Farah. She was just frustrated that it had happened after the review today. She had been fine until Dad was mentioned.
So what do you think? What role does Dad have in this? And where is Mum?
Thank you for all the reviews I got from the last chapter :) I really appreciated them all