Inside the vital lifeline helping missing children across the UK

Feeling scared and alone, the young man sat in the hospital not knowing what to do. A parent had just threatened them and they wanted to leave and disappear because they were afraid of seeing them again.

But a dedicated employee who spoke to them on the phone reassured them that they were not alone. After offering advice and support, they managed to stop the teenager from leaving immediately.

Missing People’s newly launched national lifeline, called SafeCall, receives calls and messages like these every day from children and teens in crisis across the country.

“We hear from young people who feel like they’re not being heard…They don’t feel like their voices are being exaggerated. They don’t feel like they’re being silenced and they don’t feel understood,” explained Hannah Nash, who works on the helpline.

With generous support IndependentFor readers who helped raise more than £165,000 to create the service, they now have somewhere to turn as around 72,000 children go missing every year.

A 16-year-old teenager who was experiencing suicidal thoughts also contacted the helpline and explained how they thought of getting lost again. The worker listened to their fears and helped prevent them from doing this.

Since the service launched in January, a team of 15 from the charity have helped young people and children at risk of getting lost, exploited or stranded alone on the streets.

donate Here or text SAFE to 70577 to donate £10 to Missing People – enough for one child to get help.

The free and confidential service is available via helpline, text service or online chat. this post It continues to raise funds to keep the service running and help expand it to include WhatsApp support and a chatbot later in the year.

Ms. Nash is one of the people who respond to calls and messages from children who are lost or wish to disappear.

Often lost people contact anonymously after receiving a message from the charity’s text message service; This message is usually sent when a missing person report is filed with the police.

Ms Nash said children often responded by asking the charity who they were, explaining their services and letting them know they were there to listen and support them.

Where they choose to share their details, the team may also pass this information on to family or social services with their consent.

He said: “It’s really important that someone has just left the house, is on the street and doesn’t know what to do, and suddenly gets this message.”

A big part of the job, he added, is “just listening to them and understanding what’s going on for them in their world and not passing any judgment on them.”

Since its launch, the SafeCall team has also heard from a 14-year-old who went missing after an argument with her parents, an 18-year-old who wanted to disappear following an incident of sexual violence, and a teenager who was unable to return home without safe accommodation.

A teenager had escaped criminal abuse after being physically attacked and was under pressure to earn money. The team at SafeCall discussed with them ways they could stay safe. They told them about business support services and other professionals who could help when they were ready.

“This job presents many challenges,” Ms. Nash said. “We hear a lot of important revelations from young people and really important things that they may not have shared with anyone else in their lives.”

But Ms Nash also understands how staff can make a huge impact on a young person’s life.

Paul Joseph, head of helplines, said: “We receive a lot of contact from young people across all our channels. Some feel they need to leave their homes, some are already away or facing exploitation.”

“Some people told us it was really good to have someone else to talk to about what was going on.

“SafeCall provides a vital connection for young people at a time when major social, global and economic factors are affecting their well-being and sense of security.”

With the support of our readers and high-profile figures including Sir Keir Starmer, Kate McCann, Sir David Beckham and Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen, Independent and the Missing People’s SafeCall campaign raised vital funds to launch the helpline and raise awareness of missing and still missing children.

Thanks to outstanding public support, the free 24-hour-a-day service can now offer support, safety and connection when children need it most.

Please donate now To the Independent and Missing Persons’ Safe Call campaign, which raised £165,000 to create a free nationwide service helping vulnerable children find safety and support.

If you or a loved one gets lost, get in touch for advice, support and options SafeCall.org.uk

If you are experiencing feelings of distress or finding it difficult to cope, you can speak to Samaritans confidentially on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org or visit . Samaritans Website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are a US resident and you or someone you know needs mental health help right now, call or text 988 or visit: 988lifeline.org To access online chat on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis helpline available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country you can go www.befrienders.org To find a helpline near you.