Suffolk Police

Missing People worked with Suffolk Police to deliver a one-day event called ‘The right professional at the right time, every time for missing children and adults in Suffolk’ at the Kesgrave Community Centre.

This conference was designed to create a space for multi-agency professionals in Suffolk to come together to learn and share best practice, as well as hear from Nicki Durbin, mother of Luke Durbin, who went missing on that day 17 years earlier. Nicki delivered a moving opening speech to delegates which received the following feedback from one attendee –

“What a powerful and moving experience – thank you Nicki for sharing & being so honest. Treating people with compassion and respect – so important and this is the pledge that police officers make when they join the Police Service”.

Alongside Nicki’s keynote speech, Missing People produced a packed agenda which covered Missing People’s best-selling ‘person-centred responses’ training, the national framework for missing adults, the importance of supporting children who go missing repeatedly, and on return, and transitional safeguarding best practice.

As a result, delegates rated the event 4.5 stars out of 5 and evidenced significant increased knowledge on missing children, adults, and transitional safeguarding. 96% also stated that they are more likely to refer to MP services as a result of the conference, helping us reach more missing people and their families.

Delegates also made pledges on what they will do differently because of attending the conference. These included –

[I will] “Drive forward improvements within my organisation and emphasise the importance of multi-agency working to staff working directly with young people.”

 

“I plan to ensure my team have the time…the capacity and the thinking space to continue to hold this group of people in their practice and reflections.”

 

“I will ‘ promote’ the excellent work of “Missing People’ in the hope that by word of mouth someone’s life can change for the better”.

We would like to thank Suffolk Police for investing their time, energy, and funding in delivering this crucial work to improve the experience for missing people and their families. We would also like to thank Nicki Durbin, for speaking with bravery and heart about her son, Luke Durbin.