Chereece Bateson went missing 27 times in one month and was eventually placed in a secure unit. As a teenager in the care system, she felt she had “no home, family or friends”. Now 24, she told The Independent: “I had no control over my life. My way of gaining that control back was to escape. I felt safer being on the streets than in care homes with strangers, and places I didn’t know.”
Ms Bateson helped to design and test SafeCall, ensuring the new service reflects the reality of the young people it aims to reach. The Independent has chosen SafeCall for its Christmas charity appeal because we believe that this is a small, targeted intervention that will make a big difference to thousands of children.
