Izzy is 14 and finding life hard. She feels angry at home and goes out as much as she can with her new, older friends. Yet when she is out she feels alone and afraid because they do things and go places that she doesn’t want to go.

Izzy loves her mum but hates the way she treats her like a child. Since her mum met Michael and started staying out late with him, it’s easy for Izzy to take the money meant for her tea. She is using it to buy silver bottles of laughing gas before going into town alone to meet Kayla and Louise. She is getting home very late and often to an empty house.

At school Izzy has always had a close friendship group but because she is now missing school regularly, or behaving strangely, her friends are keeping their distance. Izzy had always loved English and found Biology really interesting, but now the work has become really hard. Her teachers tell her that she can do it but she needs to be in school. She knows she is going to fail her GCSE’s and that she will never become a nurse, she is letting go of that dream. She thinks maybe Kayla has got the right idea, she earns £50 a week delivering leaflets and she can’t even add up! Kayla sometimes calls her names, she hates that.

Her teachers have tried speaking to Mum who promises to get Izzy back to school but nothing changes. Izzy’s Mum has said she is finding it hard to cope with her daughter’s behaviour, who she is friends with and her absences from home. Izzy’s Mum is really worried about her and has told her teachers the situation is really getting her down.

The police visited the house last week, Izzy was caught stealing vodka from a shop on an estate three miles from home. Her mum drinks it all the time, even for breakfast so why shouldn’t she? They will not prosecute her this time but her Mum is now really scared. If it happens again, Izzy’s mum thinks that she will have no choice but to put Izzy into care as she can’t cope with these behaviours.

Izzy thinks her mum doesn’t care. She is frightened, she doesn’t know what to do, she is so angry all the time. She hates her mum for meeting Michael. Izzy just wants to escape, get out of there. She might go and stay at John’s this weekend, she knows he’s older but he has money to buy her things. It’s more than her Mum does.

Izzy hates herself. She thinks she is worthless… because if she was worth something, someone would choose her, put her first. Not shout at her or tell her what to do but love her. She loves them but doesn’t know how to talk to them anymore. Why don’t they love her, what’s wrong with her…?

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of Middlesbrough children? Then working within our new Futures for Families Team could be for you. Talk to us on 01642 201962 or email fostering@middlesbrough.gov.uk.

Izzy hates herself. She thinks she’s worthless… because if she was worth something, someone would put her first. Not shout at her or tell her what to do but love her. Why don’t they love her, what’s wrong with her..?