Noah and Charlie, I heard about your impending arrival in what I think of as typical Helen style. She gave a presentation about a new system for working with children and families which we were soon to be using. Helen methodically went through the pros and cons and benefits of the new paperwork and at the end added, ok this how I think it could work, I will see you after my maternity leave, I’m going to have twins!
Eliza, Helen shared the news about your arrival very early in her pregnancy, before she knew you would be ‘Eliza’. This was due to a very ‘Helen like’ approach of wanting to have an organised hand over of the management of the parenting Team. I remember her smile and how pleased she was to be pregnant.
I was coming to an end of a project I was working on and was asked if I’d cover Helen’s maternity leave, so we worked together for a few months and Helen thought we could plan a month of handover meetings so I could become familiar with her spreadsheets. Helen likes a spread sheet is a frequently said between the members of the Parenting Team. Sadly, that planned month turned out to be a week. Helen’s determination to ‘leave things in order’ was phenomenal.
I exchanged text messages with Helen and while she was in the good phase between treatment, I would check out the occasional work thing with her.
People are not gone, until they are forgotten.
Helen will be talked about and remembered by many who worked with her in Lambeth. Her partnership work and vison for parents and carers to access parenting support will not be forgotten.