Children who attend care settings are often extremely vulnerable if they go missing

Principles

• Children’s welfare and safety must be the paramount consideration when decisions are made about them.
• Children have the right to be protected from abuse and exploitation.
• Children have the right to safety, stability and security of care.
• Children have a right to express their views and values and their views to be taken into account when decisions are made about them.
• Agencies should work in partnership with children
• Agencies should work in collaboration to protect and support children.
• Children have a right to express concerns in confidence in so far as their safety and that of others is not compromised.
• It is important to recognise the responsibilities of those with parental duties for children, including local authorities and independent sector providers where they are acting in loco parentis

Any report of a missing child must be given serious consideration and when necessary, prompt action should be taken involving carers, social services and police if necessary.

Aims

This protocol provides a consistent framework to ensure good practice and whenever possible, a positive outcome.

This applies to children in our setting. Some may be looked after by the Local Authority, but all will be vulnerable if missing from their placement.

It is impossible to anticipate the nature of every situation, staff should use their professional judgement to take any action they feel that is necessary to protect the safety of the child, based on an assessment of risk for each individual child.

Missing Child

Where a child’s location or reason for absence cannot be obtained and /or there is concern for the child because of their vulnerability, the child shall be deemed to be MISSING and the police informed immediately.

Protocol for a child missing from our setting

A number of basic actions should be carried out by the staff. These will be based upon the circumstances of each child and in particular, any previous incidents of the child going missing.

The following list should be considered purely as a guide:

• Check with other staff within the setting
• Ask other children if they know the whereabouts of the child
• Check premises and outside areas associated with the address

The staff of the setting should carry out an assessment of each incident and determine whether any risk factors were immediately obvious and these should be incorporated into the child’s care plan.

If there is a reason to believe a risk has materialised or the child has not returned the POLICE SHOULD BE CALLED STRAIGHT AWAY after it being reported.

Missing during external activity

If a child becomes absent whilst on an external activity, the member of staff in charge will;

• Arrange an initial search in the area the child went absent
• Notify the manager
• Notify local police
• Notify the child’s parents/carers

Report a missing child to the police

The police will request the following information when a report of a missing child is initially made to them:

• Name
• Age
• A description of what they are wearing
• Family address
• Location they are missing from
• Circumstances under which the child is missing
• Name, address and telephone number of person reporting.
• Further questions will be asked to assist the police to make an initial assessment of the report.

Accurate information is essential to ensure the police place the correct priority on the incident. Any factor that may indicate an increased risk to the child, or public must be communicated to the police immediately.

Informing other children

Should a child’s absence continue after the matter has been reported to the police, the staff of the setting should make arrangements to inform all children and staff as appropriate.

In this way, distressing rumours may be avoided and additional information may be gained regarding the missing child’s whereabouts. Any relevant information should be passed to the police immediately.

Informing the media

Police and Social Services will make a joint decision, bearing in mind the legal status of the child, on when to use the media. Police have the responsibility to advise the media after consultation with Social Services who will consult with parents and /or carers. It is the responsibility of the Local Authority to notify its own press office.

Recording

Staff must also keep a full record of all actions taken and messages received. These records must be retained and notified to the police as soon as is practicable

Managing the finding and return

The police should be advised of the child’s return, or location immediately

If there are any allegations of abuse, or a suggestion that the child has been a victim of any crime, police should consider child protection procedures where appropriate. Due consideration must be given to securing of evidence and possible forensic examination.

A consultation should take place between the staff, social services (not foster carers) and the police should decide whether a multi-agency review is required.

 Reporting requirements for Social Services

• When children in the care of Social Services go missing and do not return to their placements within 1 hour, the responsible District Manager must be informed.
• When absence goes beyond this period, the head of Children’s Services must be informed.
• For children under the age of 14 this period should not exceed 24 hours from the child went missing , for older children this should not exceed 48hrs.
• This period of notification may be considerably shorter if there are known risk factors associated with the child’s absence- these would include the child’s age, understanding and health.

General

• The law does not generally regard young people under the age of 16 as being able to live independently away from home.
• Anyone who has care of a child without parental responsibility may do what is reasonable to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare( children’s act 1989 section 3)
• In these circumstances, it might well be ‘reasonable’ to inform the police, or social services and if appropriate their parents of a child’s safety and whereabouts.
• A person, who unlawfully removes, keeps away, assists or otherwise encourages a child to run away or stay away from the responsible person.

(A person who cares through a care order, EPO or police protection) may be guilty of an offence under section 49 of the act and liable to prosecution.