Interview: Someone else to talk to - John Gandy, co-ordinator of the London Refuge's Young Runaways Project

He is no stranger to a challenge. As co-ordinator of the London Refuge's Young Runaways Project for nine months, Gandy has been focused on bringing together the innovative protocol, the outcome of working partnerships involving the Metropolitan police, Connexions, the London Child Protection Committee, social services and voluntary agencies in 10 London boroughs (Children Now, 29 June - 5 July).

He has tried to create an ethos of trust, partnership and a willingness to share information - subject to data protection - aimed at reducing the risk of children falling through the net, or running away again.

So far everyone involved has responded to the challenge of multi-agency working "with a significant degree of enthusiasm", says Gandy. "Having procedures means being able to contact the right person to help a child and has created a heightened awareness of the need to do something about runaways."