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CASE NOTES
Practitioner: Felix Morris, independent social worker with Morris Young Associates.
Field: Children and families.
Location: Midlands.
Client: Beth Lewis, 22, is a care leaver with two children: seven-year-old Shania,  and five-year-old Tallulah. 
Case History: Beth was abandoned by her mother as a baby and was brought up by various relatives and friends, until she was taken into care aged 13. She met Torin Hughes at a children's home and gave birth to Shania. After spells in a mother and baby unit and several foster homes, Beth moved in with Hughes. Tallulah was born shortly after but their relationship ended following a prolonged escalation of domestic violence. She then met Chesney Stevens, whose jealousy often erupted violently especially after he had been taking heroin. Beth was soon pregnant again, but lost the child after Stevens kicked her in the stomach. Five months after becoming pregnant again, Beth was stabbed in the thigh by Stevens, for which he was imprisoned. However, with the birth of the new baby imminent, Stevens was set to be released with Beth keen for him to return home. 

Dilemma: If Beth continues her relationship with Stevens her children will be removed. 
Risk factor: Although her parenting skills are generally good, Beth cannot see that her relationships with men put the children and herself at risk.
Outcome: Although her children were placed in care, she no longer sees Stevens and now lives alone with her three children in a new home. 

Note: No real names have been used other than the practitioner's

Domestic violence, which accounts for almost 25 per cent of all violent crime in the UK, remains the most significant indicator we have of child abuse. Inquiry after inquiry uncovers the same pattern: children were killed by an adult already known to be violent to their partner.

For Beth Lewis, 22, abandoned as a baby by her mother and brought up largely in care, domestic violence has been the mainstay of her long-term relationships. Torin Hughes, whom she met in a children's home and the father of her two children, Shania and Tallulah, started being violent to her once they moved in together. The violence increased and their relationship ended.

"With her next partner, Chesney Stevens, the domestic abuse started slowly but surely," says independent social worker, Felix Morris, who was later allocated the case. "He started displaying controlling behaviour and was extremely jealous, which gradually escalated into actual violence, particularly when he was taking heroin." Indeed, Beth suffered a miscarriage after being kicked in the stomach by Stevens.

"About five months into another pregnancy," continues Morris, "Stevens stabbed her in the thigh with a kitchen knife close to a major artery. She was hospitalised and Stevens received a custodial sentence. Over the next few months the family moved to several addresses, including a safe house."

With so many moves it is unsurprising that the children's school attendance suffered. "They both had behavioural problems, particularly Shania who was only attending school in the mornings," adds Morris. However, it was the children's fears expressed while at school that Stevens would be returning home following his release from prison that prompted a referral to social services.

"The initial assessment recommended that Stevens should not return to the family home," says Morris. "But a second referral on the day of Stevens's release stated that the children said Beth was going to pick him up. A phone call to Beth confirmed this. The social worker restated the department's position of an unacceptable risk if Stevens returned to the family home. Beth told the social worker to 'f**k off'. So, an emergency protection order (EPO) was served and the children placed with foster carers."

An EPO, which lasts for up to eight days, is made when a child is in immediate danger. An interim care order was granted soon after and the unborn baby placed on the child protection register.

"Initially, Beth was very obstructive and threatening to workers, including school staff. And because the family home backed onto the school playing fields, this meant that the children couldn't play outside at break times," says Morris.

However, crucially, Beth's relationship with Stevens broke down and he moved out of the area. "At this point Beth started to engage with social services and moved into a one-bedroom flat in a refuge," says Morris. "Part of my role was to assess her commitment to not placing the children at risk in the future and of the risk presented by Stevens. I also needed to address the children's behavioural and educational needs."

Beth started having supervised contact meetings with the children twice a week. As this increased, supervision was gradually removed. "The ongoing observation and assessment noted that there were no major concerns over her parenting skills, other than a failure to protect," says Morris. "I did a specific piece of work around the threat posed by Stevens. This was particularly pressing as Beth wanted him to attend the birth."

With guidance from her solicitor Beth decided that she would permanently end her relationship with Stevens. "She understood the risk that he posed and said, 'I had to make a decision between him and the kids - it wasn't a decision really,'" says Morris.

A core group assessment decided on rehabilitation. "With this in mind contact was extended to include overnight visits and we worked closely with the refuge and the foster carers," says Morris.

As the new baby was due early October it was decided that Beth would need some time with baby to allow them to bond. "We could then assess them together and tackle Beth's diagnosed post-natal depression," says Morris.


Half-term was identified as the best time for rehabilitation. Says Morris: "A child protection conference decided to de-register the unborn baby at about 10.30am. The baby - Dylan - was born that evening at 7pm. A graduated rehabilitation took place later that month and the beginning of November."

The family were placed on the waiting list for accommodation and remained at the refuge. "I'm pleased to say," Morris adds, "they have now accepted a four-bedroom property in an area Beth really wanted to live. Things are now beginning to happen for them."

Arguments for risk

• The risks posed to the children came from Stevens and not Beth. With Stevens off the scene Beth was able to engage meaningfully with social services. While work was needed with her understanding that her relationships could put the children at risk, Beth's parenting skills were good.
• According to Morris, Beth has always come across as "an intelligent and honest person, and this was a key to being able to work very closely with the family". 
• Beth also eventually developed a close relationship with the school. "However, we started off with the perspective of getting Shania into full time education and this was achieved with a little pressure. She has now had a full special educational needs assessment and now receives additional support."
• Beth also enrolled on a 'Future Choices' programme - group work examining issues around domestic violence. "She had some erratic attendance initially as the issues raised were extremely challenging and difficult to come to terms with."

Arguments against risk

• Beth's emotional attachment and need for men such as Torin Hughes and Chesney Stevens shows that she at times places her needs - dangerously so - above those of her children. Such disregard for them and for the professional advice and warnings she has received is worrying. Continuous vigilance is certainly needed over the coming months.
• While it is clearly beneficial that these violent men are now no longer part of Beth and the children's life, there are worrying traits - that may well be applicable to Beth - when it comes to domestic abuse. Female (and male) victims tend to stay with violent perpetrators for any number of reasons: concern for the children but also fear of the unknown - sometimes people prefer to deal with the devil they know. In a perverse way there is some comfort and routine in being regularly beaten if there is no acceptable alternative path clearly in view.
• Leaving is a particularly dangerous time because this is when control is being removed and is most often the time when the abused partner is killed.

Independent comment   
This case illustrates how a good understanding of domestic abuse is essential for working with families, writes Sue Bridge.

Beth's life story is very moving and Felix Morris has given excellent support. The key to addressing future risk for Beth and children is building her self-esteem and confidence. The Future Choices groupwork should help her to recognise characteristics of control and abuse in relationships.

Beth may need to increase skills that will make her more independent. Access to community facilities through children's centres and so on may also meet some emotional needs for friends and contacts.

Beth is likely to have concerns about the effect on her children of living with abuse. A domestic abuse groupwork programme (for example, in Cheshire we have the NSPCC Jigsaw programme) run simultaneously with work with the abused parent may help.

These programmes have been shown to strengthen relationships by helping children to understand domestic abuse. Safety planning with Beth and the children is also core to this case. Do her abusive partners know where she is? Are there safety measures in place at home and at school? Child contact is often used by abusers to abuse and control again.

The government green paper Every Child Matters fails to reflect domestic abuse as it really is - an underlying cause of many problems for many children - challenging their chances of improved outcomes. Recognising the links to child protection and the need to provide support to the abused parent are crucial to meeting children's needs.

Sue Bridge is chair of the Cheshire Domestic Abuse Partnership