UK
Lifeline for the young runaways
About 900 young people run away from home in Worcestershire every year. The revelation comes from the Children's Society, after the Government threw a lifeline to the 86,000 children under 16 across England who run away each year.
Responding to 20 years of campaigning by the society, and backed by a coalition of 30 charities, the Government has unveiled a strategy to ensure adequate measures are in place to protect and support every runaway under 16.
Councillor Liz Eyre, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for children and young people's services, welcomed the strategy. She said: "I am in favour of a robust strategy, built upon existing protocols and procedures, with the police and other partners, added to where necessary, for children in care and those in need.
"It is important we support children, young people and families where communications have just broken down or other tensions exist. To do that we must understand the make up of the figures being quoted, the categories of runaways and be sure the strategy is aimed at maximum impact where the need is greatest."
Young people in care that run away are monitored by the council through a joint protocol with the police. Inspector Phil Shakesheff, West Mercia Constabulary's lead member for missing people, said the strategy would help police deal with runaways.
He said: "We spend a lot of time searching for missing youths, mainly from care homes. This new act will help us by encouraging social services to do more." Inspector Shakesheff said one Worcestershire girl had gone missing 38 times in the past year, and 91 times in the past four years. "A lot of the time it is left up to the police with little help from the homes in locating these people," he said. "This takes police away from other duties."
Research carried out by the Children's Society revealed that most of the 86,000 children who run away from home or care every year are fleeing family conflict, neglect and abuse, with girls aged 14 -15 the group most likely to run. Once these children run away they are often forced to sleep rough or with strangers and are at greater risk of sexual exploitation, violence and drug taking.
Bob Reitemeier, chief executive at the Children's Society said: "The announcement of a cross-departmental group to take responsibility for this group of children is fantastic news, and made possible by successful collaboration between the Government, police, local authorities and other children's charities."
Sally Jones
211 January 2008
