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Launch of new service for Young Runaways in Sutton
Published on February 19, 2010
Jigsaw4u is expanding its successful service for Young Runaways to Sutton, thanks to new 3 year funding from the Big Lottery, Lloyds TSB and the Safer Sutton Partnership.
The service will work with young people under 18 years, who have run away from home, and their families/carers to help keep young people safe and persuade them from going missing again.
The Missing Persons Unit of the police will make referrals directly to the newly appointed Jigsaw4u Project worker, Trish Alin. PC Maggie Brownlie, Merton’s Missing Persons Officer says "The police have a duty of care to interview all children who have gone missing once they have returned home, but we found they wouldn't speak to us. Children often view social care and police as authority figures therefore intervention work is needed with the views of an independent person. Jigsaw4u were brought in speak to the children and bridge this gap." The Metropolitan Police Service has described the Jigsaw4u / Merton partnership as an example of good practice in reducing the number of young people going missing.
They can offer support, a 'listening ear' and mediation with parents and carers. Recent research from the Children’s Society shows that approximately 100,000 children run away from home or care in the UK each year- many will be fleeing family conflict, neglect and abuse, with girls aged 14-15 being most likely to run. Sindia Malhotra Young Runaways Manager from Jigsaw4u has been very effective over the last 5 years in working with many teenage girls in Merton who are at risk of sexual exploitation.
What makes a child run away from home? Sindia says there are many reasons including family breakdown, bullying, bereavement or they want to be with their boyfriend or girlfriend. "A new stepparent and a child might not get on," she says. "This results in the child staying at a friend’s house and is reported missing. My role is to listen to everyone and build up the communication channels by helping them to understand each other so the parties involved can start to communicate again. Another case involved a boy sleeping in a stairwell as he didn’t like his new school – his parents had recently moved house. A 15 year old girl ran away to stay with her boyfriend because her mother was emotionally abusive – nothing she did was good enough."
For more information about the service in Merton or Sutton, please contact Patricia Alin or Sindia Malhotra at our Mitcham office on 020 8687 1384; or email 'Young Runaways' from our contact page.
