Missing People
Raising awareness of the unidentified bodies database Each year, 186,000 people are reported missing in the UK. We speak with Josie Allan, Policy & Campaigns Manager at Missing People, a charity dedicated to helping reunite missing children and adults with their families. Josie tells us about an online database, which is run by the National Crime Agency’s UK’s Missing Persons Unit, and explains why it’s beneficial to raise awareness amongst the social work community.
Missing People provides support and advice for families when a person has gone missing. Can you tell us about your services? At the crux of our services is our free, confidential helpline which operates 24/7. It’s run by trained volunteers and staff to offer specialist support for people who have gone missing and the families dealing with the trauma of coping with the disappearance of a loved one.
are taking part in media interviews. We know that they are motivated to do what they can to keep the search in the public eye so we help them cope with the pressures that media attention can bring.
When a person goes missing, what is the typical process to help find them safe and sound? As soon as you suspect that a person has gone missing, you should report it to the police who will lead the investigation.
We provide emotional support as well as practical and financial guidance when a loved one has gone missing. We can also offer families of long-term missing people free telephone counselling.
As a charity, we become involved if the police believe that the missing person could benefit from publicity or if their family could require additional support from us.
We also work hard to publicise appeals to help find missing people across different forms of media, typically using posters, social media, and our website. Soon we will begin hosting appeals on digital advertising boards around the country. As part of this work, we provide support to families who
When a missing person returns, what wider support is needed from social workers to help address any issues which led to their initial disappearance and Social Work News - 20
reduce the risk of them going missing again? Consultations with returned missing people have shown that people want the space to talk about why they went missing, what is happening in their lives, and what happened while they were away. Everyone’s needs will vary and any intervention upon return from missing should be voluntary, however, it is vital that the option for support is there for everyone. Missing is often a warning sign of wider problems in someone’s life; any social workers who are in contact with someone who has been missing should consider what might be going on. They should provide meaningful opportunities for the returned person to speak about what has happened, and support that person in accessing any further services that they might need. Agencies should have clear procedures for engaging people who have returned from missing, and effective pathways for referring people who are identified as vulnerable or in need of support.
