The following morning I arrived at school to hear Rachel had scheduled a meeting with Lucy's sister, Linzey. The meeting had already been booked, but was supposed to be between Lucy's mother had Lucy's younger brother who was due to start with us in September. I was asked to attend this meeting.

Rachel and I started by introducing ourselves, as Linzey apologised for her lack of contact yesterday as she didn't receive the message until 10:30pm and rushed to her sisters side in hospital. She spoke to Lucy's consultant and agreed that Lucy would be better off in a specialised Adolescence Residential Mental Health Unit. She would be approaching the subject with Lucy within the coming days.

"How come you made that decision? Shouldn't that be up to her mother?"

"Not any more. That's what I've come here to talk to you about. I take it Lucy hasn't said anything about her mother?"

"No."

Linzey braced herself, and I knew what she was going to say would be painful for her.

"Our mother unexpectedly passed away 6 weeks ago due to a heart attack."

Lucy's strange behaviour had started about 6 weeks ago.

"I feel awful, but I told her not to say anything. When our dad passed, we were both treated very differently when our mother informed the schools. Neither of us liked the difference. But now this has come to light, I do believe that the schools need to know, as they may be able to spot changes in the children that I can't. That goes for all our siblings, not just Lucy, no matter how young they are."

"I wish you or Lucy would've told us. I've had concerns about Lucy for about 6 weeks now, and yesterday morning I was about to bring my concerns to you, Rachel. It's just that no one else had concerns about her and I had no firm evidence of something being wrong, just a gut feeling combined with her noticeable change in behaviour."

"I feel like I rely on Lucy a bit too much. I leave at 7am, so Lucy gets the kids ready for school and nursery and drops them off at breakfast club or nursery on her way here. She collects them after she's finished here, as she has always done, but then looks after them when she gets home. She sorts out book bags, cooks dinner, washes and irons clothes, washes the younger ones and gets them ready for bed, because she's never sure what time I'll be home. It's a lot to take on for a 14 year old. Most can barely care for themselves, let alone 9 younger children. Sometimes I wish mum and dad hadn't had so many!"

The rest of the meeting continued with discussion of Lucy's future, both at Waterloo Road and in the outside world. I offered to help support the family, overstepping my line as teacher, but something Rachel decided I could do because it would help to reduce the burden on Lucy. I visited Lucy twice more when she was in hospital. She initially protested to being in a residential unit, but gradually came to terms with it and moved shortly after. I gave her a few weeks to settle, and, on Linzey's word, I visited her for the first time, 13 weeks after admission.