The protocol, produced by the London Refuge for Runaway Children, will be used by agencies and services such as police, social services and schools in 10 east London boroughs.
John Gandy, co-ordinator of the London Refuge's Young Runaways Project, believes the joint protocol will bring about a significant drop in the number of repeated runaways.
He said: "A similar scheme in Gloucester has brought about a 40 per cent drop. It makes such a difference to have joined-up follow-up care."
Gandy is confident that the joint protocol for responding to young missing people in east London will be taken up across the rest of the capital by this time next year.
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