Emily is 14 but seems much older than her years. She had taken on the role of carer in the house to her younger siblings.
Her mum was an alcoholic and Emily felt very isolated and had been admitted to A&E as she was self-harming. She had also begun to run away from home.
Emily came to the attention of the Project manager who visited the home on several occasions prior to Emily engaging with the project.
Talk... Don’t Walk liaised with partnership agencies to arrange dedicated help for her Mum’s alcoholism. Respite care was also arranged for the children, through Social Services.
Emily was low, she wanted to be the same as other girls her age but felt she had too much responsibility and running away was her way of escaping.
We liaised with Emily's school and arranged for her to be re-introduced slowly back into an educational environment, we also worked with partnership agencies to ensure that the younger children attended school.
With the additional support in place, Emily stopped running away and even though, on occasion she continues to self-harm, she has become aware of how to do this safely.
We continue to work periodically with the family and liaise with agencies on their behalf.
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It could pay for a young run away to receive a session from a qualified counsellor or could allow us to answer a call from a distressed parent and give them vital help and support to ensure that their child stays safe.
Talk..Don't Walk is a service provided by The Relationships Centre. A registered charity in England and Wales. Registered Charity No. 1078372.