# Transcript

Narrator
A new case of severe neglect has been referred to Ellen.
Ellen
And is that the master bedroom and--
Colleague
Yeah.
Ellen
Yeah.
Colleague
Yeah, kitchen.
Narrator
She is concerned a seven-year-old child is living in these conditions.
Ellen
Yeah, because that is obviously human faeces in the bath.
Colleague
Yeah.
Ellen
Because they've spent a lot of money on these blocks here.
Crystal
Pardon?
Ellen
They've spent a lot of money on these blocks.
Narrator
Ellen has already met the child at school, and now takes a housing officer to see the mother.
Ellen
It was about direct work with families. That was what really drew me to a career in social work. Sadly, that's not really what we're able to do these days, just due to sheer demand on our time.
Crystal
Oh, hi there. We're the council. We've got an appointment for you today. All right, we need you to come in. I'll come down and speak to you. One minute.
Ellen
As social workers, we've got a huge barrier to get over when we very first meet families. But our aim is to keep families together.
Crystal
Where are we going, then?

[CLATTERING]

Where are we going first? When was the last time you were in here? Where's your lounge? Come on, then, let's go.

Ellen
I'm Ellen. I'm the one that wrote you the letter. I had a referral from the housing department. Obviously, they were concerned about the living conditions of the flat, and so then the referral was made to me. So--

[SOBBING]

Ellen
No, it's OK. Listen.
Narrator
The mother agrees to continue filming as long as she isn't identified..
Ellen
So we're here to help you.

[SOBBING]

Woman
You're going to take my daughter.
Ellen
No, no, no, no. Obviously, you need some help and some support, and that's what we're here to do. The housing department told me that the toilet's not working and that it's blocked, so you need to use the bath. So that can be repaired. We can get that sorted today.
Woman
I just want somewhere where I can stay with her, and like--
Crystal
Which will be here. This is your home.
Woman
No, no, I don't want this place!
Ellen
Is there problems? Is there problems here? Are you--
Woman
It's everything, everything!
Crystal
I mean, at the moment it's not in a good state, is it, and we need to sort it out.
Ellen
And Crystal and I can help you get moved, if that's what you want?
Crystal
It's not a problem.
Woman
Yeah, you want my daughter.
Ellen
No, no, no. We want to help you so that you've got a nice home.
Crystal
Somewhere to stay.

[SOBBING]

[SOBBING]

Ellen
Can you show us around, then?
Crystal
I think this is on the list to do. I mean, there's nothing that I can see that I can do straight away to help you with this, because I think in terms of-- it's just a good clean, isn't it? It's not working, is it?
Woman
If you open that, it's all blocked.
Crystal
Yeah, so I'll call repairs on that. The water comes out the plughole. OK.
Ellen
So the bath is blocked, is it?
Woman
Someone said they were going to phone domestic someone.
Crystal
Domestic drains?
Woman
They never come out.
Crystal
OK.
Woman
I had to do it, and it was just painful. Then I wanted to move, and I never could. I couldn't move.
Crystal
And this is, what, your room here?
Woman
Yeah, but it's got a lot of packed clothes and stuff like that so I can move
Ellen
So how long have you not been staying here?
Woman
Over a year.
Ellen
So you have sort of been sofa-hopping for a year then, really. Do you drink at all?
Woman
I did used to, and now I don't. That's why I got in trouble with the police.
Ellen
Is that when you were found drunk in the park, I think, wasn't it, quite a while ago?
Woman
How do you know that?
Ellen
Because obviously we were notified, but I think we didn't have to follow that up because your mum agreed to go and pick your child up from school, and kept her overnight.
Woman
And that's when it all went wrong.
Ellen
So are you all right with me coming around on Monday? And we'll make a start on it together.
Woman
Mmm.
Ellen
Because I think it's got to a point where you're sort of just drowning in it, aren't you, a little bit, and it's all got too much. So things can only move forward now

[COUGHING]

Ellen
That is is the role of a social worker, to engage with families. It's actually about being able to demonstrate to families that actually we want to work with them. We don't want to dictate. But all the time it's about risk-assessing the household. Is this child at risk? If so, who from? What from? And are we able to put in a safety plan to reduce those risks, or do we need to remove the child?
Narrator
Ellen gives the mother two weeks to clean up while the daughter stays with her aunt. The long-term future of the child remains in doubt. Knowing children need a settled and secure home in which to thrive, Ellen returns to see if the mother has started the clean-up.
Ellen
It's no good, me just going in and taking over, because that's not what it's about. Because if she doesn't take ownership for it now, the likelihood is we will have a repeat of this in another 12, 18 months' time.

[LOUD KNOCKING]

[LOUD KNOCKING]

Ellen
I think there's no sign of her at the moment, which is really disappointing. However, what looks really positive is that when I've just looked through the letterbox now, there's lots of black bags by the door. And actually, I can hear some noise. Hey, I thought you weren't in.
Woman
Yeah, I've got to go out and get some more things.
Ellen
Have you? How you getting on? May I have a look?
Woman
I'm just straightening it out there.
Ellen
Let's have a look. Thanks. OK, but do you think realistically that this is going to be ready by Friday?
Woman
I'm going to do it. I mean, what else am I going to do, apart from sitting here?
Ellen
So what's the plan of action for the rest of today?
Woman
Just clear both rooms, clean them, and then go on to that one, and then chuck everything out of the cupboard in that one.
Ellen
I think that she does have enough understanding to be able to acknowledge that actually if she doesn't make the changes, then her daughter is not going to be returned to her care immediately.
Plumber
chucked this in.

[WATER DRAINING]

[TOILET FLUSHING]

Woman
I was just stuck here. I had big rent arrears then. I stopped talking to my dad for just over a year, maybe a year and a half. I mean, it was just isolation, really. I was isolating myself from everybody and just drank. Friday to Sunday, it would be just a massive binge. I'd do like 18 litres of cider. I'd vomit. I went yellow. Imagine that. What's that, like six litres a day?
When I found out I'd got sacked, then I must have come straight back here, grabbed a bottle of Bullet, a Jack Daniel's, and Southern Comfort. I just drank the Southern Comfort and the Jack Daniel's and passed out in a park. And I think that's when social services was called once. That's how Ellen knew before I told her. But I was always sober when I see her. Got to get things sorted. She wants some purple carpet.
Ellen
I think probably the key to all of this is going to be going back quite a long time. And all these emotional problems have been escalating, and now they've got to crisis point.
Narrator
Ellen is aware the cleanup is just the beginning. The mother must now work towards providing a real home before her daughter can move back in.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Ellen
The referral to us sparked a whole triage of professionals, really.
Social Worker
We're brought in to support and to actually empower you, and put you back on the right track.
Woman
OK.
Social Worker
The other thing would be around developing a home for the both of you.
Ellen
Now we're looking at the longer-term stuff, and how she can maintain where she is now without our intervention. Hello!
Woman
Hi.
Ellen
How are you?
Woman
Ok.
Ellen
If you've got some money and your gas is paid off, you can keep it a bit warmer in here, can't you? Right, so if you can roughly write down for me all coming in and going out.
Woman
Yeah.
Ellen
A child needs a home. It's about her having a base. And it's about them as a family unit having a base.
Woman
Thank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING]