Guidelines on runaways launched

Children will be advised on the dangers of running away from home

New guidance on how young runaways in England should be helped by the police and local authorities is being published by the government.

It aims to ensure young people who run away from home or care do not fall through gaps in services.

The measures include the provision of good out-of-hours services and emergency accommodation.

The Children's Society estimates each year 100,000 children under 16 run away for one night or more.

The guidance says each council must have a named person with responsibility for runaways.

And an independent person should conduct interviews with a returning runaway to find out what the underlying problems are, and help families if needed.

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One 23-year-old woman who repeatedly ran away from home from the age of 10 said the authorities had failed to investigate the reasons for her behaviour.

"My social workers, they weren't... interested," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"They were more interested in how to control my behaviour, like punishing me and sending me to school and grounding me and taking my spending money off me and stuff like that - just to try and get me to behave and stop running away.

"They were more bothered about that stuff than actually why I was doing it."

From September, there will also be new online resource packs for schools and youth groups advising children on the dangers of running away from home.

'Recession risk'

Children's Minister Delyth Morgan said: "While it's vital that we do more to reduce the number of young people who run away from care, young people who run away from home can fall through the gaps.

"We want to ensure they come to the notice of the authorities as quickly as possible and are given the help they so often need."

He added that a review into the number and types of emergency accommodation available would be published later in the year.

It is helpful to look at ways of dealing with runaways in one place, but councils are certainly not idle on this issue Local Government Association spokeswoman

Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of The Children's Society, said the recession could spark a rise in runaways as it made life harder for families.

He said: "As such, this guidance is well-timed and well-executed, as it clearly outlines the support needed by those young people who do run away from home and care, as well as those at risk of running away.

"It also emphasises the responsibility of local authorities to work with the police and voluntary sector to help young people in this situation."

Emergency accommodation

But the Local Government Association said councils already did "an awful lot of work" to try to solve the problem of runaways.

A spokeswoman said: "Authorities are already required to work with the police and other agencies to safeguard vulnerable young people.

"Councils will be aware of the scale of the problem in their area and looking at how it can be improved.

"It is helpful to look at ways of dealing with runaways in one place, but councils are certainly not idle on this issue."

The Welsh Assembly Government is preparing its own draft guidance on runaways, which will go to public consultation ahead of any new action on the issue.

"The Assembly Government is also working in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families to review the availability of emergency accommodation, and to explore the barriers which appear to deter young people from making use of existing services," a spokeswoman added.

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