Temporary Care Worker The Story of Tracy Beaker

# I can make my world come true All my dreams will see me through

# Doesn't matter what may come my way

# Believe me now I will win some day. #

-Howdy, peasants!

-How come you're so cheerful?

-Somebody died horribly?

-You're developing a nasty streak.

-It doesn't go down well with foster parents.

-Says the Mayoress

-of Reject City.

-I've changed. What better sign than a new outfit!

-Oh, clothing allowance day.

-Big deal.

We can just afford a pair of socks between us.

I've been saving up. I'm going in to town on my special trip with Jenny.

My reward will be the swishiest, swankiest outfit ever.

It may be hard to make up my mind but Jenny's pretty hot on fashion.

All right, Jenny? Show me the money.

-Jenny?

-Hi!

-Tracy Beaker?

-And you are?

-Leah, temporary careworker.

Pleased to meet you.

-What's happened to Jenny?

-She's in hospital. Ingrowing toenail.

-What, so no-one's in charge?

-No, I'm in charge, actually.

-No, seriously!

-That's hurtful.

-I don't know this Lee person.

She'll disrupt things.

We're sensitive and we're from broken homes!

Her name is Leah. And I hope you'll give her a fair chance.

That went surprisingly well.

Uh-oh! Beaker alert.

Why are you wasting time on stupid ball games? Haven't you seen her?

-Who?

-The temporary careworker.

-How can you be so casual?

Temporary care...worker.

Don't those words mean anything to you?

-I don't understand.

-What do you do when a student teaches you?

Make every moment a nightmare.

See, at least there are people who still believe in traditional values.

OK, Beaker, what's the plan?

You've met Tracy? She's OK. They all are.

-As crazy as a box of frogs.

-I'm sure you're right.

-You can have training

and qualifications, but the secret is experience.

You've got to be as friendly and as open as is reasonable.

Like getting them all together for a meeting

-to introduce myself properly?

-That's a great idea.

-Great.

Thanks. I'll call a meeting.

Have you met the temporary careworker?

-No, but she looks OK.

-We've heard some terrible stories about her.

In the last home she worked in, she was caught using the cane.

She hit one kid so hard, she left splinters in his bottom.

-She had to go to prison.

-But they let her keep the cane.

-You've seen Leah, then?

-Yes, she seems nice.

-Nice?

-I bet she fooled the army into thinking she was nice.

-The army?

-Didn't you know she used to be in the army?

-Oh...

-Isn't she a bit too young for that?

-That's it, you see.

She was only in for a few months. They had to let her go.

She was too crazy.

She was about to run this nightclub.

But they sacked her as she beat up that film star, the one in that film

with that woman. And... And then...

You're not very good at this.

-This is a Beaker idea, isn't it?

-We'd better do this properly.

-Well, well. Look what they're sending us these days!

-Duke, hiya!

-Tattoo?

-Yeah, I got these a couple of years ago in Thailand.

-Oh.

Have you met all the kids? Crazy as a box of frogs. They're a great bunch

-if you give them a chance.

-I heard that.

-Do you know what I'd do?

I'd have a getting to know you session without me or Mike there.

-Well, I...

-Well, think about it.

-Better go. Work to do.

-Yeah.

Peter, Maxy! Leah wants to talk to you. I haven't done anything!

-Ben wanted me to help him with his homework.

-Yes, tired of getting A's.

-Fancied a bit of a change.

-Ben!

-Joke. Sorry, Peter.

It's OK. It was quite funny in a nasty sort of way. Come on, let's go.

-Hi, Tracy.

-When will you be ready for my shopping trip?

-Wait till Jenny's back.

-So, I walk around in my underwear?

-I can cope with a shopping trip.

-Jenny's good at that kind of thing.

She's got a great understanding of the kind of things a girl needs.

You can scarcely afford a pocket calculator, let alone a computer!

Let's face it, Linda, or whatever.

-You hardly look like an expert on retail therapy.

-Leah?

-Adele!

-I don't believe it. What are you doing here?

-Good to see you.

I'm just here for the week. Tracy! Are you coming

-to the get to know you meeting?

-I know you as well as I need to.

Hi! Have you been out in the garden?

-Wash your hands and change your wellies.

-Will she hit us?

-What about this meeting?

-I'm Leah. Tell me a bit about yourselves.

You haven't read our notes?

-Very unprofessional.

-I bet she doesn't even know the normal rules.

-Rules?

-We all have emotional problems.

You being here could be upsetting.

-We need to be treated with kid gloves.

-Of course.

And we're allowed to stay up late as we're too upset to sleep.

-No baths in case we catch cold.

-Just...

-I suppose you forgot

the extra £10 pocket money rule to cope with distress?

-Only £10?

-That's up to you.

You're not allowed to discuss this with Mike and Duke.

-Anything else?

-Takeaways for tea.

-OK. What kind?

-Fish and chips!

-Chinese!

-Sorry?

-ALL SHOUT AT ONCE

-OK, got all that. Anything else?

The free run of amusement arcades rule perhaps?

The no getting up before midday rule?

The no chores until you feel up to it rule?

-Please, miss, we've washed our hands.

-Hi, you two, the name's Leah.

Right, now we've got all the rules completely out the way. Haven't we?

Good. Does anyone have any questions? Peter?

How many people did you shoot?

-What? Maxy?

-What was it like in prison?

Prison?

Well, you know how it is.

Your very first exotic holiday and suddenly you find yourself suspended

in a bamboo cage above a swamp, murderers and madmen all around you,

the angry sun beating down on your shaven head.

Snapping beneath you are the jaws of 1,000 crocodiles.

Good. Now I've got your attention, can we have a proper meeting?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-OK, Tracy, ready for the off?

-Yes, and so is Ben.

-Ben?

-What?

-Yeah, Ben.

If you can't keep track of residents in a home as small as this,

maybe you shouldn't be in this job. This is always happening to him.

Always getting left behind, having his name missed off lists.

-No wonder he wets the bed.

-Ben Batambuze? You live down the road.

Yes. Well, better be off.

Let's go quick!

I thought this was my special trip?

I thought it might be nice to organise an expedition -

take me back to my army days.

-Did you enjoy your meeting?

-Disaster! She's too clever for us.

That's it. We've been allowing her to be too clever.

It's time to go back to basics.

Miss! Can you help me?

Oh, no! The oldest trick in the book.

-Tracy, what if she gets in trouble?

-Do you think this top's me?

-Leah's got your money.

-Oh, well.

-Hi.

-Hiya.

-Quick, Adele, hide us.

-Who from?

Leah.

We've run away and she's looking for us. We're going to get in trouble...

She's getting too big for her boots.

-Caught on to your little wind-ups, did she?

-What do you mean?

-Leah knows every scam in the book.

-What are you talking about?

When I had to go into care, Leah looked after me.

She can't have been a careworker that long.

She wasn't a careworker, she was a resident.

-You mean...?

-She was one of us.

Who's done something with her life.

And you're helping to get her in serious trouble.

Yeah, I realise that, Duke. I know.

They can't have got far. Yeah, I know. I'm really sorry.

I'll call you back.

Aren't we going shopping?

-Well...

-We arranged to meet up at the Post Office. Didn't we tell you?

-You tried to convince Duke you were allergic to carrots.

-With a fake tan.

I came close to having my stomach pumped.

-Nasty!

-What was Duke like when he was younger?

You should have seen him! There was this one time he came up...

Duke! I was meant to call you, wasn't I?

Things got... I found them. It was all a wind-up. Imagine that!

I've been driving like a madman. I've been thinking all sorts of...

-We'll talk later, Leah.

-Come on, Duke, lighten up!

-You know your trouble? You won't give people a fair chance.

-Huh?

What?

Subtitles by Alison Foy, Subtext, for BBC Subtitling 2002