A joint operation that’s transformed the response to missing children in this county has won an award for its approach to problem solving at Northamptonshire Police’s Excellence in Policing Awards 2025.
The project, called Operation Satin, sees specialist Early Intervention workers from the office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner work alongside colleagues in Northamptonshire Police to support young people who go missing from home.
Augusta Ryan, Senior Early Intervention Practitioner for Danielle Stone’s office, and Lorraine Wickham, Prevention and Safeguarding Manager for Northamptonshire Police, were both winners on the night for their joint work.
Augusta (pictured right) said: “Operation Satin has been so successful because we’ve got the right people, and right approach, behind it making a difference.
“Throughout the two years the project has been running, our practitioners have been so dedicated and driven to supporting children at the earliest opportunity while reducing demand on policing.
“It feels really rewarding to be recognised by the Chief Constable for all the hard work the team consistently puts in to limit risk.”
Before the project was launched in 2023, there was a critical gap in preventing children repeatedly going missing.
So, Augusta and Lorraine teamed-up to develop a six-week pilot where practitioners engaged directly with 43 young people who had experienced three or fewer missing episodes.
The pilot revealed 52% of those young people had no support in place, identifying the need for Early Intervention workers whose job it would be to identify the root cause and provide tailored support to build trust with young people.
Operation Satin was then officially launched in November 2023 where four specialists, funded by Danielle Stone’s office, engage with children from their first missing episode.
In the two years it’s been running, it’s transformed the response to missing children in Northamptonshire and Augusta and Lorraine have worked with other Forces, including Northumbria Police, to help them roll out the project.
During that time, Operation Satin has accepted 1,007 referrals from Police where 158 (14%) went on to be a repeat missing person and 849 young people (86%) didn’t go missing again.
Lorraine (pictured left) added: “Operation Satin has exceeded expectations, achieving a positive impact on the number of children being supported by early intervention.
“Each child who engages with the Operation Satin team and does not go missing again, is better protected from exploitation, demonstrating effective safeguarding while also reducing missing episodes and demand on Police and partner agencies.
“Augusta and I are extremely proud of this joint initiative between the Missing Persons Investigation Unit and the Early Intervention Ace Support Workers of the OPFCC, and we are honoured to be recognised for this achievement.”
Top presenting reasons why young people go missing in the first instance were because of a breakdown in friendships, mental health or family relationships.
After three missing episodes, presenting issues changed to child exploitation, substance misuse or crime and anti-social behaviour.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone said: “This initiative demonstrates the importance of skilled early intervention professionals working alongside police officers to proactively prevent harm.
“Every young person deserves the best possible start in life, and this project is a shining example of what can be achieved when we work together while also helping to ease demand on policing.”
Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet (pictured) said: “Operation Satin not only addressed a critical gap in service provision but also sets a benchmark for safeguarding early intervention in missing persons investigations nationally.
“It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when insight, empathy and action come together – thanks to the vision and leadership of Lorraine and Augusta.”
