Australian Federal Police

The National Missing Persons Unit (NMPU) will convene a workshop in Sydney next week to develop an information and advice kit especially designed to assist families who are searching for a missing relative.

Families of missing people and representatives from several key missing persons agencies will attend the workshop, sponsored by Sun Microsystems Australia, on Tuesday, April 6 at the University of Technology to develop the content of a ‘Family Empowerment Kit.’

The workshop will involve representatives from the NMPU, the Family and Friends of Missing Persons Group Inc, the Victorian Missing Persons Committee, the NSW Missing Persons Committee, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Link-Up, the NSW Police Service, the Wayside Chapel, the NSW Association for Mental Health and International Social Services.

Eleven family members who have had a missing relative, or who are currently searching for a missing loved one, will also attend.

"By combining the expertise and skills of key agencies actively involved in the search for Australia’s missing people and the first hand experiences of families, we aim to develop a kit that will address a wide range of family needs," Coordinator of the National Missing Persons Unit, Ms Carol Kiernan, explained.

"The kit will be a practical tool as well as a source of concise and comforting, easy-to-read information."

Ms Kiernan said the initiative is a direct result of key recommendations made in the research report, ‘Missing People: Issues for the Australian Community,’ launched last year during National Missing Persons Week.

The report, commissioned by the NMPU and researched by Dr Monika Henderson and Mr Peter Henderson, was the first of its kind to assess the social, economic and health impacts on individuals and the community when someone goes missing.

Close to 300 families and friends of missing people and 90 government departments, non-government organisations, community groups and individuals with an interest in the missing persons field were interviewed for the report.

"One of the report’s 18 key recommendations was that families and friends of missing people should be given information and practical advice to enable them to assist in the search for a missing loved one," Ms Kiernan explained.

"Many families interviewed during the report said they needed to do something constructive to help find their missing loved and wanted more information to help them cope with what is obviously a very stressful time.

"The Family Empowerment Kit will be a key support mechanism for people if someone they know goes missing."

Ms Kiernan said the NMPU has been working closely with the report’s researchers to help identify the most common sources of information requested by families. This feedback will also be taken into consideration when finalising the kit’s content.

As well as sponsoring the workshop, Sun Microsystems Australia, will provide funding for the kits’ production.

Once feedback from the workshop has been assessed and content developed, the NMPU will begin production and launch the kit during this year’s National Missing Persons Week (August 1-7).