Missing

Children who go missing from home or care

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is a key duty on local authorities. Children running away and going missing from home, care or view is a safeguarding issue. The DfE published new statutory guidance in January 2014 which primarily addressed the responsibilities on Local Authorities to children who run away or go missing from home care or view.

• Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care

Definitions of missing

• Absent: a child not at a place where they are expected or required to be.
• Missing: a child reported as missing to the police by their family or carers.
• Missing from care: a looked after child who is not at their placement or the place they are expected to be (e.g. school) and their whereabouts is not known.
• Away from placement without authorisation: A looked after child whose whereabouts is known but who is not at their placement or place they are expected to be and the carer has concerns or the incident has been notified to the local authority or the police.
• Safe & well check: A return interview can sometimes be confused with a Safe and Well check. Whilst both of these should be conducted when the missing child/young person is found they are not the same. A safe and well check is carried out by the police to establish whether the child has come to any harm whilst missing. This is in line with police duties to ‘protect life and investigate crime’.

Kirklees Missing Children Strategy 2017-19

• Click here for the Kirklees Missing Strategy 2017-19

Kirklees Missing Children Procedures

• Local Missing Children Procedure for all  Kirklees Looked After Children
• Local Missing Children Procedure for all Non-LAC Children and Out of Area LAC Living in Kirklees
• West Yorkshire Safeguarding Board Procedures

Forms

• Appendix 1 – Missing Risk Assessment
• Appendix 2 – Missing/Absent Incident Form
• Appendix 3 – Missing Professional’s Meeting & Risk Management Plan

Useful Information

• Statutory Guidance – Missing From Care
• Missing People – Help us Find someone
• College of Policing – Missing Person Investigation
• Children Missing From Education
• Guidance for schools on the monitoring and reporting of pupils who absent themselves during the school day
• https://www.runawayhelpline.org.uk/advice/
• Children Missing Education
• SafeCall Promotional Video
• The Children’s Society – Stages of Exploitation Video
• Refer a Young Person or Family Member – If you would like to refer any young people or family members who you are working with into SafeCall for support, you can find our referral form here: SafeCall referral- professionals – Missing People
• Children who go Missing from Care Framework

WY procedures

• 1.4.13 Children Missing from Education (proceduresonline.com)
• 1.4.9 Children and Families Who Go Missing (proceduresonline.com)

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