Meet Martha

Browns helped a single mother deal with her teenage son, who was at risk of exploitation.

A single mother with limited English language skills, concerned for her 16-year-old son who was in trouble with the police.

The issues they were facing:

Martha was very worried about her son. He was continuously getting arrested for Class A and B drug offences, and was potentially involved in county lines. Martha’s limited English skills meant that her son was able to intercept the mail and she was completely unaware of the circumstances regarding his upcoming court appearances. 

She was also concerned her son was being groomed by an older male in their local area, but didn’t want to report this as she would then not feel safe staying in the local area. The family were reluctant to engage with Police or social workers as threats had been made against her son, and there was concerns that both mother and son could be withholding crucial information.

Martha came to Browns and was supported with:

• Contacting her sons school to get clarification around his behaviour and attendance. 
• Speaking to social services and discovering that her sons case worker was on sick leave and that no-one else was covering the case. 
• Contacting the youth offending team and finding out that her son was on their records, but due to staffing issues he was yet to be allocated a case worker. 
• Liaising with the Police, who explained they could not provide supportive action if the family did not provide details of who they believed was grooming her son. We explained that if the family did come forward, they would need relocating– which the police agreed to address. 
• The Browns team completed a home visit, and we explained the dangers of keeping quiet regarding the suspected grooming. 
• Liaise with the police and get an outline of her available options and also advising her of her sons upcoming court appearances. 
• We were then able to work with the police to arrange all contact moving forward should be done via email. 
• Browns advised Martha on some further steps to support her son, she found the letters pertaining to the police, court matters and his school, then by using google translate was able to get a handle on all future appointments.

Martha can now support her son

As a result of working with Browns Martha is now attending all her son’s meetings and court appearances, and she is also comfortable engaging with professionals. By being fully aware of what is occurring and what her options are she is now able to make more informed decisions when it comes to both her and her son’s well-being. Browns are continuing to support the family to help mitigate any future or ongoing risks. 

*Names have been changed for confidentiality