Over 100 reports of missing people are received each day in Scotland
A cash boost of nearly £60,000 has been pledged by the Scottish Government to help train professionals to counsel people at risk of running away or going missing.
There are around 100 reports of people missing in Scotland every day, with many of these relating to a person who has been missing on previous occasions.
The charity Missing People runs a free and confidential helpline to provide 24/7 support to children, adults, and their families.
A partnership with Shelter Scotland, Barnardo’s Scotland, and the University of Glasgow, will use the cash to deliver free, country-wide training early next year to prevent people from falling into patterns of frequently going missing, and improve the quality of the discussions that take place.
Minister for community safety Annabelle Ewing, said: “The training will deliver key commitments in the National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland, published earlier this year, by helping to prevent people repeatedly going missing through appropriate intervention and support.”
Becca Padbury, development manager at Missing People, said: “By delivering this training for free, the charity is committed to supporting more vulnerable children and adults who go missing across Scotland.
“We encourage anyone from local authorities, police forces, health and educational service and the third sector to attend these training sessions.”
The one-day, free training workshops aim to equip professionals with a specific communication toolkit to manage return discussions and put positive interventions in place.
Ruth Robin, operations manager at Shelter Scotland, which has been running a support service for young runaways in Tayside for the last four years, said: “It is vital that all those involved in helping adults and young people get their lives back together recognise the value of a safe and secure home, and that they have the skills and up-to-date knowledge to deliver the best service and achieve the best outcomes.”
