Help for runaway Newcastle teens
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Children at risk of running away or of sexual exploitation can get help from a support project launched in Newcastle yesterday (30 October).
The Children's Society's Safeguarding Children at Risk - Prevention & Action (Scarpa) project helps those at risk of encountering these problems.
A team of six staff will help young people referred to the project from a missing person's scheme, other agencies in the city or via self-referrals.
The project will have two project workers concentrating on supporting runaways and a support worker dealing with children who are at risk of or already the victims of sexual exploitation.
Richard Haigh, Scarpa's programme manager, said: "The starting point for the work is building effective relationships with young people where they feel they can trust the workers, making sure the workers have time to spend with the young people. It's about making sure young people can access the services most able to help them."
In the first six months the project aims to help 40 runaways and 15 young people who have been sexually exploited.