Project to support at-risk youngsters

TONY LLOYD

VULNERABLE children who regularly go missing will get wrap-around help and support to stop them slipping through the net, Greater Manchester's interim mayor and police and crime commissioner announced.

Tony Lloyd has invested £400,000 in a ground-breaking project, led by the third sector, which will see a coordinated and consistent approach to tackling the growing missing children problem across Greater Manchester.

In 2014, more than 4,000 children were reported missing in Greater Manchester, with more than 1,000 children going missing more than once.

One child has been reported missing more than 200 times during their life. Around 95 per cent of young people at risk from sexual exploitation have gone missing at least once.

The Children's Society, in partnership with charities Urban Outreach and 42nd Street, will work with children and young people ­- and their parents, families and carers ­- to address the reasons why they go missing and put in place a tailored package of support to help keep them out of harm's way.

Mr Lloyd said: "This is an issue we cannot ignore. Any child that goes missing, even for a short period, is at risk. But it's clear we need a new approach to this issue, one which treats young people as individuals, listens to their worries and fears, and gives them a voice in tackling the problems that are making them run away in the first place.

"For the first time vulnerable missing children, and their families, will get consistent support, ending the postcode lottery.

"This project will not only provide a lifeline to children who are crying out for help, it will also help reduce demand on an already stretched policin."

The two-year project will begin in February and will work with children who have been reported missing between 2-5 times in the past 12 months.