How we can help

When a young person goes missing and is reported to the police, the police alert the Barnardo's Missing Service. We then write to the young person and parent, carer or the residential unit where the young person lives, to offer our service and arrange a visit.

In our contact with young people we tell them that the service is confidential and that they are the focus of our work. We explain the kind of things we would need to talk to someone else about. to make sure they are kept safe

The individual work provided can be of four to six sessions, in a place the young person feels comfortable. This may be home, school or a café. Work focuses on risks, keeping safe, exploring the cause of going missing and what the worker and young person can do together to address the cause. Some factors may push a young person from home, and other factors may pull him or her away from home, such as older friends.

The service can therefore offer:

• support by a volunteer
• individual work
• referral to, or information about, another service
• group work
• short-term family work.

Our focus is on helping young people to explore and develop strategies for keeping safe. The young person chooses the kind of involvement they have with the service.

Group activities

Our group work focuses on bullying, dealing with difficulties, drug and alcohol issues, keeping safe and the risks linked with going missing, such as offending, substance misuse and sexual exploitation. Young people can talk to workers about things it might be difficult to talk with a teacher or parent about.

Young people can also have an important role in influencing each other. For example, one group wrote the following guidelines for other young people.

Guidelines for other young people who are going missing:

• think about it
• talk to someone
• don’t just run away
• running away is not an answer
• if you go missing, call someone and tell them you’re safe
• if you go missing, go to someone you trust like your friends, boyfriend's or girlfriend's house or to a family member
• take money or a mobile phone to ring home.