Rita was a social worker was assigned to Paddy Kirk and Rhona Goskirk after Rhona decided she wanted another child. She visited Paddy and Rhona's house Smithy Cottage in December 2015 for a meeting. During the meeting, Paddy received a text and hurried off. They rearranged the meeting for the following day. When Rita arrived for the the meeting next day she overheard Paddy talking with business partner Vanessa Woodfield and Paddy accidentally revealed Rhona's past prescription drug addiction. She talked to Rhona about what she heard, and Rhona explained she has been clean for over two years. Rita told her that past addictions don't usually affect adoptions, but she needed to be able to trust potential adoptive parents, which she didn't with Rhona and Paddy.