I’ve already run away

If you’ve already run away from home or have left where you’re meant to be staying, it’s important that you stay as safe as possible and seek some help. Being away from where you usually stay can be very risky and may mean you end up in a situation you don’t feel comfortable with, or in a scenario that is dangerous. If you find yourself in immediate danger, it’s important that you call 999 and speak with emergency services straight away.

In some cases, we know that you really do need to go and leaving is the only option. If you’ve felt extremely unsafe or as though you’re going to come to harm where you’re meant to be living, it’s important to get somewhere safe, let someone know what’s going on for you and get the help and support you deserve. Speaking with the police or social services is the best start as they have a duty to help keep you safe and support you to be free from harm. This can feel scary and you may be worried about what’ll happen next – if you need to talk things through you can call or text us for free on 116 000 to work out what may happen if you do decide to speak with the police or social services and what your options may be. We can also help you speak with them if you’re anxious about reaching out, or worried about what they may say.

If you’ve left because you feel as though you can’t take things anymore, you’re very unhappy, or because someone else has encouraged you to, it’s still important that you get help and stay safe. There are organisations and services available that want to support you and you can talk to us for free via 116000 about what’s going on for you and what you would like to happen. We will listen and we will never judge. We want to help you be as safe as possible and can support you in your situation, help you pass a message to someone, or work out a way to safely return home.