Sally's World

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth as you might think, and believe me, it has felt like that a couple of times... I have a new job that is taking up any precious spare moments I had.

It's rewarding, but busy. I'm working as an 'appropriate adult'...which means that when anyone under 17 or an adult who's mentally vulnerable gets arrested, I am there to make sure their rights and welfare are maintained while they are in custody and while being interviewed.

I have travelled all over London so far. And, there are moments, say when its 2am, and I have to be up in three hours, and I'm still at a police station miles away trying to convince a 14 year old, with over sixty previous offences, that its in their best interests to consult a solicitor, that I wonder what I'm doing!

I'm spending so much time in the custody suite, I'm beginning to empathise with the prisoners!

There's been a couple of good moment's, the other day I got called a white, bitch, whore, social worker....

"hey, I object to being called a social worker," I said.

It broke the ice, he was okay with me after that.

There's been a couple of shaky moments too, like having a chat with a (huge) guy who beat two women to a pulp, because he hears voices telling him that women are the devil...that's really not much fun. Then again, I think my husband hears those voices too!!!!

Generally, once people realise you are there to help them and not judge them, they are okay.

It is certainly an eye opener, and it makes me appreciate my own parents and upbringing, my own kids, and even more, it makes me dislike the system that lets these people down so often.

So if I am about a bit less than normal, if I'm not posting every day, you know why. Hopefully life will settle back down soon...HA!!!