Children Missing From Care

Children and young people may go missing from their care placements; perhaps to be with family or friends or to be away from a placement where they are unhappy, either with their carers or peers. Many young people who enter care as teenagers bring with them an established pattern of going missing from home and school. Not all such absences may be described as “missing” episodes – often they represent non-compliant behaviour, such as a failure to return by an expected time. Sometimes absences trigger safeguarding procedures because of concerns about what a young person may be running from or to. Sometimes their likely whereabouts may be known.

It is important therefore that staff look to understand the reasons that lead young people to go missing from their placement and the roles of different agencies in these circumstances.

Young people who go missing from care may place themselves and others at risk. The reasons for their going missing are often varied and complex and should not be viewed in isolation from their home circumstances and their experiences of care. Every ‘missing’ episode should be taken seriously, and staff must ensure that a consistent and coherent response is given to the missing person on their return.

When a young person is (who is at no apparent risk) is absent for a short period, for example by staying out longer than agreed (either on purpose or unwittingly) this should be considered as boundary-testing activity which is well within the range of normal teenage behaviour and which does not therefore come within the definition of 'missing' for the purposes of this guidance.

Young people who go missing in these circumstances and who are known to be staying at locations that are deemed unauthorised are defined as away from placement without authorisation. In this case the local authority may request Police assistance in recovering the young person if they would be at risk if they attempted to return the young person to their placement. Police assistance will be available where the Police can add additional value to protecting the young person.

A young person is missing where their whereabouts cannot be established. At the point when the young person is assessed as missing they should be reported to the Police and the allocated social worker or out of hours team. Parents or carers should also be informed. On receiving the missing person report the Police will assess the risks to the missing person using a nationally agreed continuum of risk which ranges from ‘no apparent risk (absent)’ through to high-risk cases that require immediate, intensive action. This reporting will be in line with the local Philomena protocols. Every child or young person who lives at the Home will have their own Philomena profile, which can be found on each child or young person’s file.

An Absconder is a young person who has left the placement without permission and who is subject to an order or requirement resulting from the criminal justice process (e.g. remands, curfews, tagging, conditions of residence, other bail conditions or ASBI’s), or a Secure Order made in either civil or criminal proceedings. A young person in this category must be reported to the Police without delay.

Staff acting in a parenting role in children’s homes are expected to accept normal parenting responsibilities and undertake reasonable actions to try and establish the whereabouts of a young person who is missing. Children’s homes workers will therefore:

• Search the home, including their bedroom and outbuildings / vehicles;
• Contact any known friends and relatives that the young person might be with;
• If they are able to leave the home, visit locations that the young person is known to frequent;
• Call or text any the young person’s mobile phone and leave a message asking them to get in touch;
• Contact the young person’s school or school friends to gather any available information regarding the child’s whereabouts.

Young people who are testing boundaries (for example by not coming back to the home at the agreed time) do not need automatically to be reported to the Police. However, they must be the subject of continuous assessment, and if information suggests that circumstances have changed, staff must be in a position to respond. In this phase children’s homes workers should continue to take all reasonable practical steps to establish the whereabouts of the young person and encourage them to return.

However:

• A period of no more than 6 hours should normally be allowed to pass before the young person is reported to the Police as missing. In many cases however a shorter period will be appropriate. It will not usually be appropriate for any young person to remain out overnight without being reported missing. However timescales should be based on the young person’s missing person risk assessment;
• If after 24 hours the young person has not returned or their whereabouts have not been identified and their well-being confirmed, a missing person report should be made;
• If the young person’s whereabouts are known or suspected, the staff will decide whether to allow the young person to remain at that location, albeit temporarily, or to arrange for their return. If the decision is to arrange their return and there is reason to believe that Police assistance may be required it should be requested.

Missing

If, taking into account the circumstances and the risk assessment, a young person is considered to be at risk they should be reported missing to the Police.

When reporting a young person missing to the Police any relevant information that might help to find or support them should be shared, including:

• A description of the young person and the clothes they were wearing;
• Any mobile phone numbers;
• Whether or not the missing young person uses social media;
• Details of the placing authority if outside of Derby or Derbyshire;
• Details of where the young person was last seen, when and with whom;
• A recent photograph;
• Relevant addresses, known associates and addresses frequented;
• Details of any previous missing episodes – including when, where they went, for how long, who with, where they were found, and how they were returned;
• The circumstances around the young person going missing including any relevant information such as whether there had been an argument, or were being bullied;
• Any other information that might increase the vulnerability of the young person such as a learning disability, or risk of sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation or trafficking;
• Any specific known risks;
• If they have gone missing with family members or individuals known to present a risk.

Using a risk based approach the Police will determine where the young person sits on a continuum of risk from ‘no apparent risk (absent)’ through to high-risk cases that require immediate, intensive action. In addition to the above they may also ask for the following information:

• What is the specific concern in this instance?
• What has been done so far to trace the young person?
• Is this significantly out of character?
• Are there any specific medical needs?
• Are they likely to be subjected to crime?
• Are they likely to be the victim of abuse?
• Are they currently at risk of sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation or trafficking?
• Are they likely to self harm or attempt suicide?
• Do they pose a danger to other people?
• Is there any other relevant information?

The home’s risk assessment will be an important part of the information given to the Police.

The Police will also assess whether the missing person is high or medium risk.

When the young person’s whereabouts are known or suspected, staff will make every effort to arrange for their return as soon as possible. There will be circumstances however when, in the interests of the safe and speedy return of the young person, the Police may agree to requests from the local authority to assist. The Police will not unreasonably withhold assistance in cases involving local recovery and providing transport for vulnerable young people. However, they will not agree to requests to provide escorts for missing young people, which would unreasonably involve officers leaving their normal areas of patrol.

When the young person returns, carers should make clear to them that they are relieved to see them safe and well. Their general condition should be assessed immediately and medical attention should be arranged if necessary. Food and drink may also be a priority. Staff should make sure they are safe and any issues which may have caused them to go missing are addressed, especially if it appears they may have run away because of bullying or harassment.

All relevant people should be informed as soon as possible that the young person has returned. This includes the Police if they are not already aware. The Police will do a safe and well check except where it is not practicable to do so, for instance because the young person is frequently going missing.

If a young person is missing for 3 days, or earlier if deemed appropriate, the local authority will convene an ‘emergency professionals meeting or ‘missing Strategy Meeting’ involving the Police, carers, social worker, and any other professional involved in the care of the young person.

Children’s homes workers should ask the social worker to arrange this meeting if necessary.

Where a young person has had 2 or more reported missing episodes, a multi-agency meeting should be convened to review their care and placement plans and missing strategy. This meeting may be contained within other meetings, such as a Looked After Review or CRE meeting, or may be arranged specifically for the purpose. It should be attended by professionals involved with the young person, including the Police liaison officer and carers, the young person and their parents.