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Every day, helpline workers from Missing People speak to children who have gone missing, their heartbroken loved ones, or those who feel like they want to disappear. The Independent heard from those picking up the phone and helping bring young people back to safety
Harriette BoucherMonday 24 November 2025 05:00 GMT
CloseMissing People CEO on why SafeCall will be a lifeline for children
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On a Monday morning, a helpline worker answered a call from an anxious parent whose 15-year-old son hadn’t come home the night before. By lunchtime, they had also heard from a 14-year-old who had skipped school and was too afraid to return, and a 17-year-old girl who said she wanted to get on a train and never come back.
By Wednesday evening that week, they had spoken to a missing 14-year-old in foster care who had been abused and was at risk of suicide, a 16-year-old girl who wanted to disappear with her nine-year-old sister to protect her from conflict, and a mother in tears because her autistic son hadn’t come home.
These are only a fraction of the calls received each week by the charity Missing People, whose helpline staff listen, advise and support anyone affected by a disappearance.
As The Independent and the Missing People set out to raise £165,000 to launch SafeCall, a new free service offering support and safety for children, we spoke to the behind-the-scenes workers who are helping many of the 70,000 young people who go missing each year.
Donate here or text SAFE to 70577 to give £10 to Missing People – enough for one child to get help.
open image in galleryPaul Joseph, the charity’s head of helplines, said the job is tough but rewarding (Missing People)The charity's helpline workers handle calls and texts from people who are often in distress, in need of advice, or just someone to listen. It is estimated that around 13 young people call the charity every day.
Paul Joseph, the charity’s head of helplines, said: “The team, whether they're on the phone or responding to the message, there'll always be this sense of calm, even if someone's really anxious and it's all very high emotion, they're going to respond in a calm and warm way.
“It's really important that we create that space where people can say things and they're not going to get judged.”
For those who are missing, the staff will talk through their situation and assess their safety to understand what support they need.
If they are speaking with a caller worried about someone else’s disappearance, they will talk them through the things they can do to look for that person, and help them take the next steps of making a missing person report.
If asked, the charity can pass on messages to family, the police, or social services, or connect them in a three-way call. “During those calls, it's really important that we're there to advocate for that person and make sure the third party we're speaking to understands what's going on.”
open image in galleryMissing People hear from dozens of children every week in need of support and advice (Missing People)The charity also has a service called TextSafe, which sends missing people messages at the request of the police and offers them confidential helpline support.
Many of the messages a helpline worker receives are from people who have received a TextSafe message. “Sometimes they can be a bit curious,” Mr Joseph said. “They can wonder why they've got the message. They can be asking us about who we are and what we do, and we'll explain that to see if we can help them.”
The team also receives intelligence from people who may have seen an appeal for somebody or have information about a case.
It is a job that requires tough work, Mr Joseph added: “It would always have to be someone who is warm in how they communicate… It's hard to get emotion across, and hard to get feelings across in a text message. That's a real skill.
“We need people who are resilient and can hear difficult things and can talk about difficult things.”
SafeCallSome of the more difficult calls to hear, he said, are from people who are being subjected to “really horrible things” or have been let down by their caregivers or services that are responsible for them.
“I think talking to families of people who have been missing for a long time, that's really hard,” Mr Joseph said.
The workers always hope that the person they are speaking to will update them on their situation. It can be challenging, he said, to talk to somebody for a long time and not hear back from them.
Although a typical day on the job could involve heartbreaking phone calls or messages, it is incredibly rewarding. “The team knows that they are there for those people during those really difficult times,” Mr Joseph said.
Please donate now to The Independent and Missing People’s SafeCall campaign, which aims to raise £165,000 to create a free, nationwide service helping vulnerable children find safety and support.
For advice, support and options if you or someone you love goes missing, text or call the charity Missing People on 116 000. It’s free, confidential and non-judgemental. Or visit www.missingpeople.org.uk/get-help
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
