Just Time and Juggling in Times of Covid

We all maintain good health and hygiene practices, right? 1.5m apart, washing hands with soap, sneezing into elbow, staying at home if unwell, etc.

It’s this ‘staying home if unwell’ directive that is the start of our story. A story that demonstrates the depth of collaboration between SPT and Connect42. And the depths we will go to in ensuring their good work continues…

Just Time is a game-changing program delivered by Connect42 in Tasmanian Prisons. It uses the Circle of Security Parent DVD Program®, an eight-week program of attachment, relationship and wellbeing. It’s all about how the bonds of love and positive emotion form the basis of secure attachment between parent and child. This work is facilitated at the prison by a team of speech pathologists from SPT.

At 7am on a recent Wednesday, the speech pathologist rostered to Just Time showed symptoms of a cold. Caro is her name. There was no way Caro was going to leave her house, and even if she did, there was no way she would have been permitted to enter the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison where this program of Just Time was taking place.

Caro, who had a cold, phoned another speechie: Rosie.

Rosie, who did not have a cold, did have an appointment with a client that she could not cancel.

Rosie, who did not have a cold, but could not make the Just Time session, called another speechie: Sarah.

Sarah, who did not have a cold, but could make the Just Time session, lives in the country and did not have a car that day.

What to do?

Rosie asked son Jordy to help – ‘Out of bed, son, there’s a day to save’.

Jordy drove his dad’s (Richie) car and Rosie drove her car to Sarah. Sarah took Rosie’s car and Jordy took Rosie home in Richie’s car.

Sarah was sorted and used Rosie’s car the rest of the day!

Just Time went ahead, just in time. Thank goodness! Such important work!

But this puzzle is not complete!

Rosie still needed to get to work at SPT. ‘Yo, Richie, can I have your car for the day?’

‘Nope. I need it. But I can drive you to the clinic.’

So he did. And the morning of Rosie’s appointments went ahead – while Sarah Just Timed with the women at Risdon.

But Rosie had a school visit in the afternoon. She needed transport to that school and did not have a car!

Ali, the SPT receptionist, was at work, had no cold symptoms, and had her car.

‘Hey Ali… could I borrow your car to do my school visit?’

Ali agreed that car-lending which enables the good work to go ahead was covered in the clause ‘… and such other tasks as may reasonably be requested from time to time’.

Rosie kept the school-visit appointment, and of course, returned Ali’s car (to a more convenient car parking spot. One good turn deserves another).

So, Connect42, the other SPT clients and Ali were all sorted!

There was only one more piece of the puzzle: how did Rosie retrieve her car from the country?

After work (which went late that night due to a shared professional training amongst all the team) speechie, Mariam, who lives near-enough-by in the country, drove Rosie to Sarah’s house.

Rosie and Sarah and Sarah’s hubby Adrian had a cup of tea, played with the dog, high-fived the kids, and talked about Just Time and much else. And they laughed at the logistics of the day.

Then, in her own car, at 9.30pm, Rosie drove home and went to bed.

The end.

How fortunate we are to have quick thinking! To have generosity and care! To have commitment to the work, and willingness to extend! To have driver’s licenses! And that Caro, who had a cold, is now well!

Silly, crazy season of love. Now breathe.