MORE than 800 people who went missing as they approached crisis point have been supported by a scheme aimed at preventing suicides.

The Dorset Police Adult Early Intervention Team was set up in May 2020 with initial funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and is aimed at helping adults who are at crisis point and have gone missing.

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill established the service to provide help to people who have gone missing from home - many of whom are either experiencing serious mental health issues, or go on to kill themselves.

Mr Underhill said: "Sadly, many people who go on to kill themselves had previously experienced episodes in which they had gone missing.

"I was keen to set up a system in which we can talk people who have gone missing to try and find out the reasons, and put them in touch with support.

"It's been a legal requirement for many years that these return home interviews take place with children and young people who go missing, and I wanted to replicate this important work for adults who go missing."

Between November 2020 and January 2021, the team had 40 cases referred to them by the county’s neighbourhood policing teams and other agencies, and during that time they were monitoring 49 active cases.

The team has looked into 2,000 incidents of people who have gone missing and intervened in more than 800 cases in which people were either at risk of attempting suicide or taking their own lives.

Members of the team carry out in depth interviews in order to gather an understanding of the reason the person went missing, report any harm they experienced while they were missing, and help them address the issues to reduce chances of it happening again.

More complicated cases are kept under constant review and are referred to other organisations who can help, including mental health services.

"While the legacy of Covid-19 is uncertain, I believe it will create a huge increase in the number of people experiencing mental health issues, and so the work of this team will be much needed for many years to come," said Mr Underhill.

Inspector Neil Wood of Dorset Police, said: "The excellent work of the Adult Early Intervention Team shows our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable within Dorset.

"By working closely with our partners, we're able to take a whole system approach in order to keep people safe and deliver the best possible service."

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