A new scheme has been launched to try to reduce the number of missing children.

Northumbria Police said its Sunderland Safe Return campaign works with organizations to try to identify missing children on a regular basis.

Staff will visit homes and develop “personalized plans” of intervention, including substance education and behavioral assessments.

A pilot of the scheme in another police force produced “positive results”, the Northumbria force said.

The program is funded by the Violence Reduction Unit, which is within the office of Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth.

Two members of staff, employed by the charity Waythrough, will assess children who have left home between one and three times.

They will visit them and develop prevention plans to prevent the risk of being affected.

Northamptonshire Police, which ran a pilot of the scheme, said that of 263 children involved, only 8% went missing again.