Fifteen of the 22 young people interviewed said that when they spoke tosocial services their needs and views had been overlooked.
Jayne, a 15-year-old runaway, highlighted the issue. "Social servicesdidn't put me nowhere," she said. "They say they can't accommodate mebecause my case isn't that important."
Janet Glenn-Millanaise, manager of the London Refuge for RunawayChildren, acknowledged that social services are under-resourced butemphasised it was vital they take more account of the views ofadolescent, as well as child, runaways.
The report, Beyond Refuge, also called for more funding for specialist,long-term schemes for young runaways to prevent them ending up on thestreet.
- www.nspcc.org.uk.
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