Dawn Coghill was a social worker who worked for the Weatherfield Adoption Service. On 7th May 2010, she advised Steve and Becky McDonald over their intention to adopt. She interviewed them at the Rovers Return Inn, and was concerned by the fact that they lived in a pub and both had criminal records. Dawn reassured them that they wouldn't automatically be ruled out but warned them that their circumstances could cause complications. Becky became defensive and accused Dawn of insinuating that they would be better off not pursuing it. Becky made Dawn leave, but Steve brought her back and convinced her to give the couple another chance. Dawn was impressed when she overheard Becky telling Steve's daughter Amy about her grandma Blanche Hunt going to heaven.
Dawn came back to the street two months later in response to an urgent request from the McDonalds. They wanted to know why the Windasses had been fast-tracked and given a little boy to adopt first, having been introduced the a child in a buggy by Eddie. Driving up as the two parties were having an argument in the middle of Victoria Street, Eddie was forced to confess that the child was Anna's nephew and he had been winding the McDonalds up. Dawn told both couples that she wasn't impressed with their behaviour.
Dawn accompanied the McDonalds to the hearing in August when they would hear if they had been successful or not. To their shock they were told they had been unsuccessful. Becky blamed panel member Jade Greyson who had given her a cigarette outside the offices where the hearing took place and, for good measure, threatened the members to watch their backs in the future but outside again Dawn broke a confidence and told them the panel had issues with it being too soon after Becky’s miscarriage, concerns over the stability of their relationship and a negative reference from Becky’s half-sister Kylie Turner.
When Dawn called at the Rovers to tell the McDonalds not to give up and what the next stages of the process would be, Becky took the opportunity to rifle through her bag and find Kylie's address with which to trace her.
List of appearances[]
2010