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You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
Hello there,
Thank you for your letter.
I think that you have shown great care, consideration and concern for your friend by writing to me. From what you've told me, I can understand you being worried about your friendÂ’s safety.
Every young person has the right to be loved and cared for at home. They should also be given help with their basic physical needs, like food and shelter and warmth as well as clean clothes and washing facilities. It sounds like your friend may not be getting the love, care and help from her family that she deserves and therefore she could well be at risk of neglect. (You can read more about neglect in the Explore section).
I can hear that you've already tried to talk to your friend, but she just tells you she's ok. I imagine it could feel really upsetting not knowing what to do next. You mentioned that you think your school might be picking up that something isn't quite right at home. I wonder what it would be like to talk to an adult at school about your own worries about your friend? Sometimes young people tell me that they're worried about sharing their concerns about friends, because they don't want to feel like they are breaking their trust. If you think your friend isn't safe, then involving an adult is the right thing to do. Your school have a responsibility to help your friend stay safe, so they should make their assessment of what they know and respond appropriately. In your letter, you say that you are aware that your friend has previously been in care and that will mean that she will be known to social services and that could speed up any referral that the school may decide to make on behalf of your friend.
Talking to a Childline counsellor might also be something worth considering for both yourself and your friend. You can contact them by sending an email through the website, by logging in for a 1-2-1 chat (like instant messenger) or by calling us for free on 0800 1111.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.