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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Initial Action
3. Strategy Discussion/Meeting
4. Follow-up Action by Children and Young People's Services
5. When the Child, Family or Adult is Found
6. Children Missing from other Local Authorities

1. Introduction

A missing child or family is one who appears to have left their last known address and whose whereabouts are now unknown.

Local agencies and professionals, working with children and families where there are outstanding concerns of actual or potential Significant Harm, must bear in mind that non-school attendance, a series of missed appointments, cancelled or abortive home visits, may indicate that the family has moved out of the area.

This possibility must also be borne in mind when there are concerns about an unborn child who may be at future risk of Significant Harm.

These procedures apply if a child in the following circumstances goes missing or cannot be traced:

• A child who is the subject of a child protection referral or Section 47 Enquiry;
• A child who is the subject of a Child Protection Plan who goes missing or is removed from her/his address outside the terms of the Child Protection Plan;
• Any child known to a statutory agency who goes missing in circumstances which raise concerns, e.g. where a child is removed from hospital against medical advice and cannot be traced.

These procedures also apply to adults whose whereabouts become unknown in the following circumstances:

• A pregnant woman when there are concerns about the welfare of the child following birth;
• A family where there are concerns about the welfare of the child because of the presence of an individual who poses a risk of harm;
• A parent known to be experiencing domestic abuse.

For children who go missing where there are concerns about forced marriage, see Forced Marriages Procedure.

2. Initial Action

In any of the above circumstances the relevant Children and Young People’s Services Team holding case responsibility must be notified immediately.

The Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) must be informed if a child who has a Child Protection Plan goes missing.

The Children and Young People Service Team must contact all local agencies who know the child to inform them of the situation and, where the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan, all members of the Core Group must be informed in writing.

Existing records in these agencies must be checked to obtain any information, which may help to trace the missing child, e.g. details of friends and relatives, and this information should be passed to any police officer undertaking the missing person enquiry.

The Designated Nurse must be notified about a missing child, family or a pregnant woman. S/he then has responsibility for initiating appropriate local or national notifications of Primary Care Trusts and Hospital Trusts.

The Children Missing from Education Officer should notify colleagues in other areas about a pupil whose name may show up on the roll of a new school.  See Children Missing from Education/School Procedure

The social worker must ensure, wherever practicable, that all those with Parental Responsibility are informed that the child is missing.

The social worker must discuss with her/his manager and parents, where appropriate, whether to notify members of the extended family and if so, how.

3. Strategy Discussion/Meeting

If the child has not been traced, a Strategy Discussion/Meeting should be convened within a maximum of 5 working days or sooner depending on the level of risk and complexity – see Section 5, Timescales, Strategy Discussion Procedure.

Members of the Strategy Discussion/Meeting will need to consider whether to circulate other local authorities and other agencies in the area in which the child and family are thought to have gone.

Consideration should be given to national notification of authorities and agencies including the appropriate Benefits Agencies.

A senior member of the Children and Young People’s Services should seek assistance from the Department for Work and Pensions if the police have not already contacted them.

If there is any suspicion that the child may be removed from UK jurisdiction, appropriate legal interventions should be considered and Legal Services consulted about options.  It may also be appropriate to contact the Child Abduction Unit or the Consular Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which may be able to follow up a case through their consular post in the country or countries concerned.

4. Follow-up Action by Children and Young People’s Services

If the Strategy Discussion/Meeting agrees that the details of the child or family are to be circulated to other local authorities, the social worker should draft a short letter giving details of:

• The children in the family;
• Other family members or significant adults;
• The circumstances causing concern;
• Action required if a child is found, including any immediate protective action to be taken;
• Details of contact arrangements for the social worker - including out of office hours contact;
• Where possible physical descriptions of the key people and photographs, if available.

The letter should be sent to the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) for distribution to her/his peers nationally, who in turn should circulate within their own Children and Young People's Services and local agencies.

If the child is subject to a Child Protection Plan and not found within 20 working days, the Child Protection Review Conference must be brought forward to consider whether any other action should be taken.

5. When the Child, Family or Adult is Found

When a child is found or returns to their home authority, there should, if practicable, be a further Strategy Discussion/Meeting within one working day, attended by previously involved agencies to consider:

• Immediate safety issues;
• Whether to instigate a Section 47 Enquiry and agree if a single or joint agency enquiry is necessary;
• Who will interview the child if a Section 47 Enquiry is to be initiated;
• Who will interview the child if a Section 47 Enquiry is not required;
• Who needs to be informed of the child’s return (locally and nationally).

Any child who is found following a period missing should, regardless of whether s/he is believed to have experienced, or be at risk of, Significant Harm, be offered an interview by a social worker and/or police officer; where the child requests it, arrangements should be made for the interview to be conducted by an independent person.

If the child indicates a wish to be interviewed by an alternative professional, all reasonable efforts must be made to accommodate the child’s wishes.

This interview should provide a safe opportunity for the child to discuss any concerns regarding her/his care, including if they chose to run away from an abusive situation.

When the child is found outside the area of the child’s home local authority and is not likely to return, see Children Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries Procedure.

If the child is subject to a Child Protection Plan, consideration must be given by the social worker and manager in consultation with the Conference Chairperson, as to the need to bring forward the next Child Protection Review Conference.

6. Children Missing from Other Local Authorities

The Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) must ensure that a system for keeping and referring to a list of the ‘Notifications of children and/or families who are missing’ is in place.

If, after 2 years there is no communication from the authority where the child and/or family went missing, the child and/or family’s details will be removed from the list.

End