Robyn is a 13-year-old girl who recently entered her last year of primary school. She is shy and withdrawn and doesn’t have many friends at school. She lived with her mother, her mother’s boyfriend and his children. It recently came to light that there was a possibility that Robyn has been sexually abused for the last few years by someone living in the family home. For the social worker to present this crucial information to the children’s court, he needed concrete evidence to substantiate why Robyn could not be reunified with her family. There were just too many imminent risks present within Robyn’s family hom
e. To obtain this evidence, Badisa needed to pay for the necessary assessments and therapy for Robyn as her mother was not able to afford it. She was referred to a forensic social worker and comprehensive feedback was provided to the designated social worker, who was able to use this as evidence in her report for the court. This forensic report enabled the social worker and the children’s court to protect Robyn from any further harm and place her temporarily in alternative care.
Robyn’s protection was a priority and now that she is safe, her mother was able to find an alternative place to stay. Robyn’s mother is relieved that Badisa was able to provide her and her daughter with the necessary support and there has been such an improvement in the relationship between Robyn and her extended maternal family. The extended maternal family and mother have been working in partnership with Badisa to make decisions that are in Robyn’s best interest.
Since being removed from danger and receiving the necessary therapy, family and teachers have seen such a change in Robyn’s behaviour. She seems happier. She laughs more and it is evident that she feels safe and secure. She has even started socializing more at school. Whilst Robyn still needs time to work through the trauma she has experienced, with the necessary support from Badisa and possible reunification into her mother’s care, we are confident that Robyn will continue to grow and develop her full potential.
The photo was sourced from Canva.com; the photo is not related to the article.
