Fiona’s Story

Expect Respect supports girls and young women at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation. Relationships with the young women are based on mutual trust, with the team of Caseworkers having lived experience of these issues themselves.

When we first met 14-year-old Fiona (name changed), she was spending time in an area known for drug dealing and exploitation, smoking cannabis, skipping school, and regularly going missing from home. She’d been suspended several times and was at high risk, yet reluctant to trust or open up to any professional trying to support her.

That began to change when she met her St Giles Caseworker, Mandy (name changed). Gradually, Fiona revealed that her resistance stemmed from deep-seated fears of abandonment, rooted in being estranged from her biological father.

Mandy worked consistently to build Fiona’s trust while coordinating with her legal guardian and other professionals involved in her care. Together, they developed an action plan to support Fiona’s safety and wellbeing—both online and offline. Mandy also taught Fiona strategies to manage her anger and prevent further confrontations or missing episodes.

There was a setback when Fiona was suspended again after an incident at school. However, Mandy suspected there were underlying, undiagnosed needs contributing to Fiona’s behaviour. She advocated on Fiona’s behalf, leading to diagnoses of autism and ADHD. Fiona is now receiving specialist support to help her thrive.

Today, Fiona’s life is transforming. She has a strong, trusted relationship with Mandy and feels supported, not abandoned. She has engaged with a local substance misuse service to reduce her cannabis use—something she had previously resisted. Most notably, her missing episodes have stopped completely, and her behaviour has improved dramatically.

Fiona now has the support she needs, and the future is looking brighter.