A new collaborative project has been launched to tackle the problem of missing children and youngsters in the Gwent area.
Each month Gwent Police receive around 300 reports of children who have gone missing or run away from home. The new project aims to share information between Gwent Police and other agencies to help identify those who are vulnerable and at risk.
The team, including police officers, social workers, health workers and an education representative, will assess the risks to children from the very first time that they go missing.
Those who runaway and go missing, say police, can be at risk of harm from physical and sexual violence, exploitation, substance misuse, crime and social and educational exclusion.
The Gwent Missing Children Project team will also provide opportunities for runaway children to talk to someone they can trust when they return and try and uncover and address any underlying problems.
Deputy Chief Constable of Gwent Police Jeff Farrar said: “I am totally convinced that the approach we are taking in joining together across public services to break the cycle for missing children will be truly ground breaking.
“This will set the standard for the way we respond to all vulnerable people. A lot of hard work has gone into making this a reality and I would particular like to thank the young people who have experience the trauma of being missing and have helped us in redesigning the service.”
Minister for Local Government, Lesley Griffiths, said the project marked a significant step in the Welsh Government’s vision of transforming services to better support children, young people and their families.
She said: “Anyone who has heard the stories of children repeatedly going missing will have been moved by them.
“Good public services can make a real difference to the lives of these young vulnerable young people and this project represents public services working together at its best.
“By coming together in this innovative way, we can respond to and support the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Missing Children:
60% of missing children are male and 40% female.
84% of missing children reports are received between 5pm and 1am and just over half -53% – return within the same hours.
In 2011 Police, Health and Social Services in Gwent spent around £2.25m on children who had run away three times or more.