An innovative project in Northamptonshire has successfully broken the pattern for more than four hundred young people at risk of repeatedly going missing.
The project, called Operation Satin, sees specialist Early Intervention workers from the office of Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, work alongside colleagues in Northamptonshire Police to support young people who go missing from home.
Operation Satin focusses on those who have gone missing less than three times. As soon as possible after they return home, every young person is met by one of a team of four Early Intervention specialists based within the Police Missing Person’s Unit. The aim is to quickly understand the reasons why they are going missing and try to break the pattern.
When young people go missing, the risks to them increase, especially of sexual and criminal exploitation. By listening and understanding their problems, the Early Intervention team members work with the young person and their family to support them to make positive change – and reduce the risk that they will go missing again in the future.
The approach has been a success.
During the first 12 months of Operation Satin, 475 young people from across the county have been referred to the project – of those 475 young people, 415 have not gone missing again.
The EI workers use their specialist skills and knowledge to provide a wide range of support that can include managing emotions, mental health, risky behaviour, advice on healthy relationships and on online safety.
At the same time, the parents or carers are also supported to improve their situation and strengthen relationships at home.
Feedback for the project from young people who have received help has been positive: young people said they felt listened to, while parents reported feeling supported to deal with the problems.
And reducing the number of times a young person goes missing not only keeps them safe, it also reduces the demand on Northamptonshire Police.
Operation Satin is now receiving national attention: The team have presented their work at a national missing persons conference and other police forces and organisations have been keen to find out more about the approach.
Augusta Ryan, (pictured above, one from the right) Senior Early Intervention Practitioner in the office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said: “This project has been even more successful than we could have hoped for 12 months ago. Going missing is a sign that something is happening in a young person’s life, so as specialists working with young people, we listen and keep the voice of the child at the forefront of our interventions by offering support with what’s worrying and not working for them. This intervention is about achieving better outcomes for the young people and their families and reducing risks at the earliest opportunity.
“We are supporting young people and families at the earliest opportunity and keeping them safe.”
Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone, said: “This project shows the value of having skilled early intervention professionals working side by side with police officers, to take the initiative and prevent harm. Young people deserve the best start in life and this project is a splendid example of what we can achieve, as well as reducing demand on police officers.
Detective Inspector Adrian Sharpe who leads the Northamptonshire Police Missing Persons Investigation Unit said: “Op Satin has dramatically decreased the number of children who go repeatedly missing. This means huge reductions in the amount of police hours spent looking for missing children. Much more importantly, the early intervention and prevention work embodied within Op Satin keeps children away from risky situations.”
