How to Deal with Problematic Families | Britain's Broken Families | Real Families

[Music] no you're not going away sad last year the state spent an estimated nine billion pounds on just a hundred and twenty thousand families to spell it here that doesn't there's been a fate and my garden my fate across the street [Music] yeah so let us get out there and heal the scars of a broken society I can if needed be there at 7:00 in the morning to make sure the children are up Sean buy into it and be there at 5 o'clock to make sure there's food on the table it's really really not looking good y'all get that Timmy did that there's unrealistic expectations to suddenly go from being nightmare families which of the next minute being the Waltons [Music] [Music] Vickey McEwen is 24 is her first year working for the family intervention project having left University with a degree in criminology as a fit worker it's their job to help new casters most troubled families and I'm going to visit the Thompson family and this point social services are concerned that the home conditions are not suitable for children's living and the boys are being neglected it's by going at this time and not aiming for cash the law I'm just aiming to get a picture of what's really going on who does what who's up it's a starting point to see where we need to go from here social services have brought in fit to contribute towards an assessment and help the Thompson family he's got what Rob is 4 years old and I was quite concerned that he's been ill and his parents were not no one thought that's going to school where's everybody else is this your job this morning no Joe Robbie is being cleaned up by his grandma Doreen most children would wake up in the night and go and get mom or dad not to tell them that they've been ill well Robbie obviously hadn't got five house cuts there's a strong smell of cat urine Robbie's brother Brandon is 7 years old Mona and Brandon how are you this morning bond things that I'm very aware of with Brandon is I've never seen him smile which is very concerning for a child of that age [Music] when classically if it was might because oh yes I'm glad to see you off Claire moved back into her mom Doreen's house after splitting up with Brandon and Robbie's father your morning person Claire good what rugby to bed we're Club works as a part-time cleaner in the evenings stepdad John moved in three years ago shortly after meeting Claire you thought you were having a lie-in John you around loose it no oh the other end that's it just in the bad thing well you got you had some good times so it's just in the bad properly yeah you'll have to tie the smelly room they weren't your ugly see you later Brandon tonight in my opinion it's more about neglect and just general unawareness of what they should be doing the good Fred's waters are quite open about what they are doing which in my opinion shows that they don't think it is wrong because they are so open about it now do you get to see to the needs I love them no I'll get hooks and play with them announcer first I'm sure that's what parent does say Tony didn't play with them we come off spin we are being brought up we are probably my own two kids need to know how children [Music] on the advice of Vicki and other professionals Claire is called to a meeting at social services how did it go don't do what they're asking the will put epistle to the court not what just caught me take the boys push take the boys because we're poor they pushed up take the boys office do you think you're gonna lose Brandon and Robbie scary feeling I'm eight cuz I've been late twice now so go scary feelings Clare has been given three months to improve the home environment for her boys she knows working with Vicki is her best chance of achieving this in January because New Castle's fit was set up seven years ago each worker is responsible for four families can be called in by social services or housing for court intervention hey witness the attack on his mother when he was seven and when a knife was used on his mother what makes bit unique is the amount of time they are able to spend with every troubled family I think that there's sometimes really unrealistic expectations on families to suddenly go from being you know labeled as problem nightmare families or whatever to the next minute be in the Waltons I mean it had 15 staff researchers since January usually to do with disorder where a long-term intensive support service and we can be involved with families for up to two years I'll be honest with you those families that have been with us for longer than that [Music] in a leafy suburb on the other side of Newcastle miss Sharon Gibson Sharon is a 43-year old unemployed single mom she's being blamed by neighbors of a teenage M huge gang first it was just a lot of shouting and we heard this loud like a thud smash sort of thing and there was no indoor smashed thankfully actually knock we shall miss it man Shaun is 14 years old and Sharon's only child she hasn't been to school for over a year I just didn't take it's all just stuff gone I went in primary school more than I didn't know Shaun hangs around the house with her friends and 16 year old boyfriend Martin they've been together for seven months and Martin spends most nights there there's Martin bring a lot of the trouble here boy does I people bring my spotter we don't we don't cause Baba or go out and get accused of doing stuff well just everyone hates you Shaun really won't hear you leave us all inevitable despises but when you look at it I Springs from as an outsider you don't go to school you've got the police coming reindeer does look bad it's almost getting to the point that every time there's a knock at the door it's somebody to complain Claire Stewart has a background in counseling and has been working for the family intervention project for five years the majority of them have been spent supporting Hmong Sharon with her mental health issues but now 14 year old Shah is her priority the last couple of weeks we've had Shawn run away from home there's been complaints put into the council about bad behavior and Shawn still needs to go to school stances that's a big hurdle for us to go over and there are even more problems eggs have been thrown at this house and what's happened is the neighbors I'm guessing think that it's actually Shawn Martin who've been doing it are you worried and having so many people shown that year and screaming at you and saying this has happened and that's happened and and it's them to blame and this is to blame you know you've got Shawn and her friends getting all upset and agitated and they're shown and things and you don't know what was being said and whether you know who was telling who do f off or whatever Shawn had promised to go back to school but hasn't after receiving abusive messages and texts this started because Martin was a naughty boy and went behind Shawn's back with somebody who was meant to be Shawn friend and the person decided to get very nasty incensed and very nasty messages to Shawn [Music] shawn has agreed to allow Claire into her room to talk about the messages how are you sure what about all those texts and messages oh stop no me I've been reading through them and I'm wondering what it was like when that was happening were you frightened not really cuz I know that would take more life they text another one actually do it I'm awesome but you didn't run course cool in case it did happen hmm so are the reasons why you didn't run off just because of that [Music] you're gonna get the room side I'm gonna come back on Tuesday will it be beautiful yeah they worried about her are you texting each other like Chirico see you later [Music] that was the first time that Sean's let me in her bedroom for a very very long time so that for me was a big step forward and she's let me see the mess and how bad it's gotten there's a lot of work we can do from that and I don't just mean about cleaning it up I'm talking a whole loads of stuff about self-image and self-esteem and valuing yourself something has gone really wrong inside Sean Sean was only 11 years old when fit for first brought in to help her mom with her mental health issues I'm so ill and I was so depressed because I was facing affliction my benefits were all in a mess the world just kept kids stopped penis and then when they were put it back in and it was weeks in arrears of with everything and I had said that I was going to be in the host and me and Sean are gonna be in it and I was so sick and so he ended up taking Sean away which was a bit of a bad time was now hello mother I forgot my house not till after half fall Shawn didn't want to leave her mother because she was frightened that's something what happened to Sharon for an 11 year old girl that was really scary Shawn was placed into care for two months Claire help Sharon get her back and has been supporting the family Lonnie be less than a five minute appointment how will it be ages just go for some contraception the implant and then it means that don't need to worry about anything for three years basically it's getting her there that's gonna be the problem just rather go off with her friends you know it's a path forward appointment three months ago Shawn became pregnant with Martin's baby but had a miscarriage she gets pregnant again at the moment the it will go into course I'm sure to have that baby removed that's what the social work expressly said Sharon made it quite clear that she is not able to cope with a baby at the moment on Shawn's behalf and she isn't and Shawn couldn't manage a baby only be a two-minute appointment [Music] Shawn Shawn [Music] I take it you're not going to the doctor's and this is what she will do and this is what she's like if I see you know she can't have a friends you know nor the the can't stay overnight or whatever she does exactly the same thing so it's like about the rules in a minute my priorities are to get Shawn into school and to get some contraception but it is ultimately Shawn's choice as long as you've made every effort and made it as possible as you can the end of the day she she makes that choice [Music] three weeks from first meeting the Thompsons family intervention work of Vickie McEwen is working on a plan to help keep their boys from being taken to care [Music] in comparison to the others fit family 13 millions times worse that's how I'm yep okay I'm getting it this is Robbie's room rips all the paper off it's not the speed lobby which we Brown as well decorate industry we both got the money to decorate shooed away it kind of well yes it the kind of scene we are looking forward to doing we did it at the cards and couldn't so that's what it was mmm this is that's the way it is for me my boys working with families you see that behaviors are quite often learnt from parents and it's sort of a generational issue that's passed on and that can be quite hard because you're asking them to change behavior that they've been doing for such a long time and it's not going to change overnight and it's not gonna be an easy change I like talking with parents it's results from once those services all those doors clang all the time so social services come in took me I'm a brother up off of parents with dads end up in prison again and we're um my mom was just disappeared absolutely to his office I'm going to very much work on the areas such as parenting roles within the family and trying to get the family to achieve what they need to in order to keep those children at home Mickey spends the morning with a Thompson x' laying down some new house rules right before we go through this I just want to say I want people to be honest I don't want to go away and find that people are upset or whatever I'd rather we get it all out in the open now because we can only move forwards when we know where we're at in terms of in the morning obviously you said you take interns to get physically up and the other ones maybe in bed what I would like to see is that your boats are physically up because usually and I'm not meaning this in a disrespectful way people be up and going to work so we need the boys coming to you if you're both getting up then there's two people there for them because one thing that often happens is in terms of especially people involved with social services they'll say I'm not hitting the children I'm feeding them the garbage do not to meet basic needs but in terms of it's that emotional thing and having someone there when you're feeling really crap and down and stuff it's just responding to that I'm not just ignoring it that's what that's what we want to say we can often get a lot of bravado from families there now but I don't need things to be different and what you're telling me the way I bring up my kids is our right we need to show them a comparison so it's not always about sitting down and having the chat it you've got to be creative you've got to try and make it real for them and bring it to life a bit you've got what well that could give you an option to take them somewhere for now the motor to the powerful [Music] Vickey suggestion of a trip to the part is the Thompson's first outing together in weeks [Music] so you can with the boys going play no love we've all got the money over to the weather guard you enjoy coming to the park what'd you do this weekend just just had to play in D in this is the first time ever Sinclair at the path it's not the first time I've ever see they're doing some of the boys but at the pass but I think she actually enjoys that even if she's not saying it she's joining in again let's get their shoulders hey it's important that Claire and John start to see that it does have an effect it does make the boys happier gives me something to talk about and I suppose it gives them that time to be children and inevitably they will mess around and stuff but because they don't do that at home I think it's important that they can just be children [Applause] this is beginner where is it the Gibson house Martin chance 16 year old boyfriend has been accused of stealing the neighbors football just have to wait till the police come back you worried about the policeman remark no we have plenty Taylor don't be a bombing why is anything still around people keep asking me that if I don't allow become some point my daughter's not going to be here we've been through this lots of times with being where she's just enough because I haven't allowed him so whatever I do I wasn't supposed to tell yes how do you know come here you take go next door get a bowl because I've just been told you date you're not going away getting uncle for walk where you go it find the ball [Music] out the van smarts tags on me sudden window there's been a Fae and my garden a fight across the street just abuse verbal abuse get it out we never ever leave our house empty no never no and he's wondering why I've got regular bloody neighbors it's not funny Martin went up that way the bastards want to stop him I'm popping up wrong yeah do you think people look at you as trouble yes I don't mean why is that it's really add one is put in Sharon's tenancy at risk because obviously you can't go around upsetting the community like this and other things have been going on as well police were called two nights ago for something else associated with Martin's behavior so we have to talk about all of this and what it means Sharon Sean and Martin first of all I'm gonna let under let your mom read this all right Martin this is from the housing officer to me okay they've received in the complaint about your behavior and while you and your friends were visiting this house it doesn't really help at this point to say who's right or who's wrong or the accuracy of things the thing is it has been said somehow your behavior and as much as you say I didn't do it your it was just a little bit no I didn't really do that it was just this I was just playing with a ball where I was happening Martin is you're putting this tenancy at risk you were doing it you and your friends nobody said to me that Sharon is kicked a ball or stood on somebody's hedge it's really not looking good it's really really not looking good why don't you and Sean go upstairs and give me in me and Sharon couple of minutes on their own yeah no I don't want the cutter I think the thing is the community's call itself and it's such a state now that they are watching you all the time that's the feeling that I'm getting mm-hmm so let's get it calm down [Music] ten days later Sharon is asked to go to the housing office to discuss her tenancy she wasn't gonna come and she just flatly refused was they flatly refused it wasn't aggressive it was she was just scared and then yesterday I said how about we got the house you need to do this as part of the process and she came around she just was she just perked up and came around so she she's here okay yeah you okay yeah the reason Sharon that I asked you to come along a deal is clear it's just to go through some of the complaints lead namely Sean's behavior in the street and the visitors associated with the property the noise and just the general disturbance in the area you see if Sean and our friends are causing nuisance in the area if they are friends visitors to your property it falls back on you and your tenancy and all of the complaints we will then continue inappropriate behavior has to stop it won't be tolerated and and we need to just keep an eye on the situation closely you understand what I'm seeing Sharon sure what's on your mind dude nothing do you need to say something no no you sure Sharon and Sean are quite quiet and soft touches with a lot of things a lot of kids who've got nowhere else to go and who aren't being controlled have ended up coming into the home and Sharon's had great difficulty getting these kids out trouble comes and finds a home there and that jeopardizes their tenancy [Music] two months into working with fit the Thompsons are trying to get to grips with their new daily routines set up by Vicky [Music] we've actually danced on only got three color tries some mean about five cups no one got the three cuts because of why the cattle got rid of was doing all of what you ran all over the place how often were you changing the capita trace once a week I know it's having to for a long time I didn't feel that Claire understood the reason for the change it's quite apparent that she's more on board now so I think she understands more what needs to happen and she understands that if things didn't change then she was at risk of losing her boy so she's now doing things to make sure that doesn't happen I brought some more tops Vicky has introduced a system of charts which ensures all the family stick to the new routines would just leave that blank and if I did on Tuesday Jessica through the charts will despair and these routines and habits will become the norm Robbie what does it say on the chart you've got to do it doesn't say don't bounce you just got to walk doesn't it because the Y's might fall over yes that's that ute idea John a mum of painted your bedroom happen though do you like it but who's done this not you because you know in your chart you've got no drawing on walls yeah so next time I come this will still be here but we don't want any new drawings and then you think you can keep the walls clean very good decoration and cleaning the house short term solutions Vicky is helping to arrange for Claire John and the boys to move into a council house on the other side of town it's been hard but just gotta get on with it I don't like what's happening that's well have a really cool set would what's what separate ways but just go girl run was it for the kids obviously the housing is the next big thing because long as she's living with her mom she will be a child in terms of she'll always looked to a moment expecting them to jump in and things we've always said until they move in they're in separate tendencies were kind of just treading water and keeping things as they are and the true changes will happen when they move [Music] Wow tell you what it's much better in here isn't it pry it out loud grant you've done great in here my child you know you have stuff that's too got the ride in school that you were taking back to riding school have you taken it I wondered if you fancy taking it up with me in a car Sean used to go horse riding I don't know really two or three times a week so I wanted to remember as she really enjoyed it so I'm hoping to trigger some memories as well not gonna ride at all [Music] remember Dempsey or not yeah Dempsey and Daisy probably Shawn would be about 12 when she came and she started off right from the beginning to eventually start to compete a little bit so she got quite far with her writing I think she certainly always enjoyed it some aims maybe just maybe the crowd of kids that she was in with it the time maybe their interest just wanted a little bit not just yet to stretch on to go down the other track and do other things this is the little girl and I knew was there it's really nice aina relate to medical books because she loved it it's a big change it's about getting out of the house and leaving the house you do not respond to safe work she's not bone just calling up going out so this is really the first step away from love life but she's been living late witnessing last year which is why if she if she wants to make sure she can get here at least in the early stages until her motivation and confidence [Music] had a text message from Sharon the seven o'clock on Friday to say that Sean was pregnant it does change everything all the plans that we had and everything that Sharma signing up to have all changed what needs to happen is a pregnancy test needs to be taken with somebody who can confirm to social services that you're pregnant so the test is positive fault Sean will be assigned a social worker who will assess whether she can keep her baby yes so because it's got to ping bits that's a positive yes that's correct yes it's not something I really want to go through yesterday and then to be honest I don't think she's even physically able to go through it I don't think she is and to mean carry a baby or deliver me and so are you like frightened for her the only way I can for me to handle it is to just not even talk yeah how do you feel yeah you're scared which what you scared about with everything do you want to jaunt over baby you do all right there yeah is scary I think because you don't know what's gonna happen this is unknown you don't really know how you're gonna react with your own baby til you've got your own baby there so it is quite scary I just thought what doesn't it on TV really yeah why is that because I think you're nice Martin [Music] eight months after Vickie's first assessment the Thompsons have moved to a council house yeah but grandma's gonna maybe hopefully move across there and then she'll live near you'll be able to visit won't she take size for meeting the boys I think there won't be no that's stressful I think it's gonna be you know figure if it meant for this is the we want it kept there will be any because would be just mean to up to me and try to keep it tidy and thing with the cats is fine have cats but we just don't want them in the bedrooms don't want them wiing and things in the bedrooms just throw your outage on obviously sometimes I always get that first to smile special in the heat and so on to get that warm animal smell some long as the stair downstairs then we've not got and it concerns them we just don't want them we in in the boys bedrooms if she comes hopefully this be a fresh start we'll get the stuff in the house that they need I'm hopeful that it will work out [Music] Sharon's pregnancy is put even more pressure on Claire to break the Gibson's cycle of problems does that get her out of schooling being pregnant it doesn't get her after school and at all no in fact it's become almost more important that she's pregnant because she's going to have to demonstrate to people as a sinner as the fit fit to be a parent so she there's even more pressure on her to to go to school Claire's helped Sean get a place in a school for pregnant teenagers Sean come in a minute guys this isn't good it's really not good what happened what happened in here seriously this is really bad it's not good you know so if you if you want any chance at all to have your baby Sean and bring your baby home you're gonna have to start going to school and this has got to stop Martin ain't hearing me is it hearing me all right and that means that you stay here on Sunday night not at Martin's yeah and I can see you gone yeah I'll do it I'll do it and I know what you're thinking I'll do what the hell I like so Sean I buy into it you know it's not I thought you're joking you have got to be joking you know we've been through this you know the lengths were being to you know the risks you're running not looking after yourselves cleaning up after yourselves you're just showing no signs of any parenting capacity I think there's other people who aren't taking responsibility for this Martin's parents need to take about the show of the responsibility I Tracy all right I come in Thank You FIP have no powers to force Martin's parents to help or Claire can do is speak to his mom Tracy your mom said you can't stay up with Sharon's through the week actually she said you can't step there any time no yeah yeah Sean couldn't stay here weekends but you can't visit sure yeah Sean yeah Tracy appears to be really on board about Martin's Martin insurance relationship and what that means in terms of them not going to school they get together and there were little gang and they don't need anybody else so she's really getting involved in in dealing with that and making sure her own son's going to school probably children follow rules it was merely something I love it can't be let the bastard oh I don't any kind of it but I know what so even be a loving a loving son Knightley one minute [Music] ten weeks into her pregnancy Shawn's made a decision about her future until weeks time old go back to school and what made you do that well it's gonna make us look more responsible in everything because I need an education everything as well so you still a little bit in denial about it not really sunk in your nest she's trying to do all of the things that we've asked her to do to prove that she can parent and she's got any parental support but yeah Shawn's engaging a lot better it's been four years since Claire first became involved with the Gibson's with things calming down in and around the house Claire can consider reducing her hours so I'm gonna come down and see it and we'll start putting together closure plan where I start to step back and I would look at a period of about three months of me stepping back just in case you know just in case there's something that I needs to come before come back so over that those three months you'll see me less and less I'm happy with that okay ready for that uh-huh well yes and it sort yes that's good yes you see be sad to not have to come up there anymore in a little way I will be yeah because you know I've become part of their life and so in a way that they become part of my life as well I thought about them a lot so in a way I'd be sad and in a way I'll be glad as well it is like I'm the friend it's it's like suddenly having some best friend and they're not having that it also yeah it's gonna be really nice to me very hard I think I'll cry [Music] ten months on from starting work with the Thompson family Vicky McEwen is making another unannounced early morning visit I'm out just comment how tidy this is compared to the previous person the family are all up and about Brandon is wide awake [Music] well this is mine Olivia's room and M that's just it's just messy at the moment cuz we've just moved in Robbie's bed we're doing a white so his missing well there is one weasel cause he's only five and I'm at the top it's like old coffee up here did you like living in the old house mad it was all sporty everything was born it said did they tell you out sometimes and meet consoles as you can see things attorneys are critical in the morning - I was wrong hood the one that I broke is the home and no one would open up well it's definitely less chaotic there's no shouting and I'm very proud of this sound like it's amazed me how far they've come and stuff and just I get a lot of pleasure seeing how happy Branson and Obi are now how do you think things have improved it was much more stress because getting more help and boys seem to be happy at all but now if help was to sort of slowly stop do you feel confident doing everything else yourself yeah what was that on the phone if we need to get informed on the fullness or some England get a dentist and doctor saw it out see it's amazing to see where their colour and that just shows to everybody that give these families a chance and they can change it's about giving them the chance chances and helping them to get those chances because some of these families are quite happy we're not happy but I stuck in a rut and I think just things this morning just how the Empire and Don were taking pride and how smart the boys look for school that was a huge thing both boys seemed happy on a more involved the boys Syria countries more always what I see is and talked to us you would just do that things I mean we can know it under sit around watching the telly all day just be a family so that's because few nice and sayd hormann side so thank you for the day now it's only 8 o'clock in the wrong [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: Real Families

Views: 292,838

Keywords: eye-opening stories, child poverty in the uk, children's rights, Real Families, Full documentary, Tips for parents, Full episodes, Britains Broken Families, britains broken families sian now, britains broken families where are they now, britains broken families, social services, social services documentary, anti social behaviour documentary, anti social behaviour uk, anti social behaviour, antisocial behavior, problematic teenager

Id: xm21dAZoQpc

Length: 47min 44sec (2864 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 04 2020