Fostering Blog.
I had only been thinking how quiet Mum had been when we had a barrage of calls and messages. They started as withheld number calls on James’ (name changed) phone. Then they started on my phone and then the home phone.
James had seen that a number of messages had been left on his phone and handed it to me as he didn’t want to listen. They were the usual stuff about money. She wanted James to send her money as, apparently, he had loads and he couldn’t spend his due to Covid. Then she went on to say that if he didn’t have money available then take something of value and somebody would collect it, a watch or iPad, something that could be sold.
She then went on to say that she was ‘taking steps to get him back’ and it wouldn’t be long until he was home again. She then basically was unpleasant about me. The message on my phone was really nasty accusing me of only wanting James for the money, mistreating him and that I must be weird being a male carer, why couldn’t I get a proper job.
I was more worried about the message that was left on the home phone, which was from a man. It was one of those ‘I know where you live’ types of messages. James was doing his school work online so I went into my bedroom and called his Social Worker.
I told her about the messages and replayed them via my mobile so she could hear them. I then called her back on my home phone so she could hear the message on my mobile. She was very concerned and wanted to get the Police involved. I said I would speak to my Supervising Social Worker. She also wanted the Police involved.
So I contacted the Police on the ‘non-emergency’ line and they said that someone would come round to take a statement. About 3 hours later there was a knock on the door and a female officer was standing there. She came in and I told her about the situation and then let her listen to the messages on James’, mine and the home phone. She noted it all down and then left, asking us not to delete the messages.
James was oblivious about the whole situation and agreed not to listen to the messages, on his phone, as he may have found them upsetting.
So I decided to have a drive somewhere, with James, just to get away from the negativity. We didn’t go far, due to the restrictions, but we got out and had a nice walk down by the Thames and got some fresh air. James asked me if I thought his Mum would ever get back to ‘normal’. I said I hoped that she could get into rehab soon and that she would get away from drugs and the people she had around her. I explained that those people were keeping Mum away from being clean and that it served their purpose for Mum to keep taking drugs. James understood what I was saying.
So we got home and watched some football, obviously, and then James went to bed whilst I wrote up my diary and emailed all parties regarding what the Police officer had said. Not a great day!
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