Runaway Helpline is here for you during the coronavirus outbreak

Staying home

Everyone is being asked to stay home while coronavirus is spreading. While this can be frustrating, it’s really important that you don’t go out unless you really have to.

At the moment, going outside and coming into contact with people that you don’t live with could be risky and increase the chance of the virus spreading. The virus can be passed on by being close to other people, or by touching any surfaces that other people have touched. By staying home you can keep yourself safe from getting ill and make sure that you don’t give it to anyone else at your placement.

We know staying in all the time can be hard, especially if you’re not getting on with the people you live with. If you’re finding things difficult, you could try talking to your carers about how you’re feeling and different ways you can let them know when you need some space. Maybe you can agree some steps for your own privacy like placing a sign on your bedroom door, or find a space inside where you can go to cool off and have a bit of time on your own if you get into an argument.

One of the hardest things can be not seeing partners, friends and family, and this is tough for everyone at the moment. It is really important to try and stay in touch with people outside of your home by phone or online. You can speak to your carer about how you can do this if you don’t have your own phone.

In some cases it might be okay to go outside for a short time to do exercise. You should agree with your carer whether this is okay, and let them know where you’re going to go. It’s really important to stick to ‘social distancing’ guidelines if you do go outside. This basically means not meeting up with anyone else, and staying more than two metres away from anyone that you pass.

Speak to Runaway Helpline

f you feel like you want to leave home, or are struggling at home with everything that’s happening, you can always call or text Runaway Helpline for free and in confidence on 116000 to talk through what’s going on (9am – 11pm).

We’re here for anyone who is thinking about running away, anyone who’s already left home, and for those who’ve been away and come back. We’ll listen and we don’t judge – we won’t tell you what to do – we will talk about your options and help you to think about how to stay safe.

f at any point you feel unsafe at home, you should leave and call for help immediately. Remember to call 999 if you’re in immediate danger, and you can also call us to talk through your next steps if you need to.

If anything that is happening in your life means that you have to go out, or if someone is making you, speak to us so we can help work through how to stay safe.