Pilot scheme aims to reduce missing young people cases in Sunderland

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A new initiative between police and partner organisations is aiming to reduce the number of young people going missing from home.

The scheme has worked well in other force areas.The scheme has worked well in other force areas.
The scheme has worked well in other force areas. | Sunderland Echo

Safe Return launches this week in Sunderland and sees Northumbria Police officers liaising with charities Together For Children and Waythrough, to identify children who have begun to go missing from home recently on a regular basis.

Safe Return will offer appropriate intervention support to young people who go missing at an early stage and ultimately prevent them from repeatedly going missing.

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The scheme has been used in Northamptonshire Police force area, with positive results.

Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Ashurst of Northumbria Police said: “Prevention remains one of our Force priorities and we are passionate about getting missing people located quickly and returned to their families, carers and loved-ones.

“This innovative new project will see us work alongside our partners to identify those young people who regularly go missing and get them the support they need at an early stage.

“We appreciate that being a teenager or young person can be difficult and there are a number of factors as to why people start to go missing.

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“This scheme will further build on our efforts in identifying why a particular person is going missing and supporting them so that future incidents are prevented.”

Simon Marshall is director of Children’s Services and Chief Executive for Together for Children.

He said: “We know that early intervention and getting to the root of the problem is key to not only reducing the number of children and young people going missing, but it also allows us to better support those who are doing so on a regular basis, and their families.

“Partnership working has always been at the heart of what we do and, by working collaboratively as part of the Safe Return project, we have been able to strengthen our joint city-wide approach to children and young people going missing and help ensure young people are able to stay safe and thrive.”

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Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “The approach has already shown promising results elsewhere and we're confident that Safe Return will have a similar positive impact in Sunderland.”

Anyone who needs to report a person as missing should call 101.

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