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Missing Children Procedures Updated 22 June 2017

Children Missing from Home and Care Procedures

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Missing Children Procedures Updated 22 June 2017

Document Author KSCB Document Owner

© Kent Safeguarding Children Board © Sessions House County Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ Email: kscb@kent.gov.uk

Copyright © Copyright Kent Safeguarding Children Board. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form or by any means without the written permission of the Author/Owner.

Summary of Purpose These procedures outline roles and responsibilities of all KSCB partners in responding to children who run away and go missing from home or care.

Review date This document will be reviewed in December 2017

Accessibility This document can be made available in large print, or in electronic format. There are no copies currently available in other languages

How this document was created

Draft 1 Document created by Author

Draft 2 Consultation with the Missing Children Working Group

Draft 3 Approval with Policy and Procedures

Draft 4 KSCB Approval

Equalities Impact Assessment

During the preparation of these procedures and when considering the roles and responsibilities of all agencies, organisations and staff involved, care has been taken to promote fairness, equality and diversity in the services delivered regardless of disability, ethnic origin, race, gender, age, religious belief or sexual orientation. These issues have been addressed in the procedures by the application of an Equality Impact Assessment Checklist.

Circulation Restrictions

Procedure Document that will be published on the open access site through the Kent Safeguarding Children Board Website.

Version Detail of change Date 1.0 New Procedures for Children Missing from Home

and Care. November 2015

2.0 Amended in line with The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults: Inquiry into the Safeguarding of absent children – ‘It is good when someone cares’ (May 2016)

February 2017

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Contents

1.1 Foreword ............................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 Purpose of these Procedures ................................................................................................ 5

1.3 Scope of the Procedures ....................................................................................................... 5

1.4 Kent Principals ....................................................................................................................... 5

2. Child/Young Person Missing from Home and Care Process Flow Chart .............................................. 7

3. Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................................... 8

3.1 Strategic Leads ...................................................................................................................... 8

3.2 Missing Persons Liaison Officer ............................................................................................. 8

3.3 Missing Person Coordinator .................................................................................................. 8

3.4 Out of Area Placement Officer .............................................................................................. 8

4. Children at risk – Prevention and Planning .......................................................................................... 9

4.1 Pre-risk assessment ............................................................................................................... 9

5. Responding to a Report of a Child Missing from Home or Care ........................................................ 10

5.1 Response from Parents / Carers .......................................................................................... 10

5.2 Response from the Police .................................................................................................... 10

5.3 Response from the Central Referral Unit ............................................................................ 11

5.4 Response from the Local Authority ..................................................................................... 12

5.5 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children .......................................................................... 12

5.6 Children Missing Education ................................................................................................. 13

5.7 Children placed outside the Local Authority ....................................................................... 13

6. When a Child/Young Person is Found ................................................................................................ 14

6.1 Response from Parents / Carers .......................................................................................... 14

6.2 Response from the Police .................................................................................................... 14

6.3 Response from the Central Referral Unit ............................................................................ 14

6.4 Response from the Local Authority ..................................................................................... 14

6.4.1 Specific consideration for Children in Care and Children subject to a Child Protection Plan 15

6.5 Response from Early Help and Preventative Services ......................................................... 16

6.6 Response from Other Local Authorities placed children ..................................................... 17

6.7 Return Interviews ................................................................................................................ 17

7. Appendices ......................................................................................................................................... 18

7.1 Appendix 1 - Legislative Framework and Useful Links ......................................................... 18

7.2 Appendix 2 – Definitions ..................................................................................................... 20

7.3 Appendix 3 - Information to be made available to the Police ............................................. 22

7.4 Appendix 4 – Placement Plan and Care Plan ....................................................................... 23

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7.5 Appendix 5 – Grab Pack ....................................................................................................... 24

7.6 Appendix 6 – “When your child is missing” Leaflet ............................................................. 25

7.7 Appendix 7 – Early Help Missing Children Process Flowchart ............................................. 27

7.8 Appendix 8 – Children Missing Education Risk Assessment ................................................ 28

7.9 Appendix 9 - Push and Pull Factors ..................................................................................... 31

7.10 Appendix 10 - Return Interview Prompt Sheet ................................................................... 32

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1. Introduction

1.1 Foreword These Procedures are important for the safeguarding of children and families, or those using services in this area. The guidance in the document should not be read in isolation but be read in conjunction with your agency’s guidance and implemented, where necessary, by all practitioners and managers working with children and young people who are missing from home and care (see appendix 1 for Legislative Framework and Useful Links). The Kent Safeguarding Children Board expects all agencies working with children who go missing from home or care to implement these Procedures, ensuring all relevant staff are aware of this document and how to use it. This guidance is expected to ensure that when a child goes missing there is an effective, collaborative multi-agency safeguarding response. This will be achieved by good information sharing and will include a consideration of risks for each individual with a focus on reducing repeat missing episodes. Working in partnership with children and their families is a key part of this process. Going missing could place children in dangerous situations. There are particular concerns about the links between children running away and the risks of sexual exploitation, gangs and radicalisation. A child who goes missing just once faces the same immediate risks as faced by a child who regularly goes missing. However, children who go missing when they are young (and/or with greater frequency) are more likely to face longer-term problems. The definitions detailed in appendix 2 apply to these Procedures and relate to children under 18 years of age who go or have gone missing. The definition of running away is taken from the Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care (January 2014). 1.2 Purpose of these Procedures The purpose of these Procedures is to assist practitioners across all agencies to develop a robust response to children who go missing from home or care. This will include preventing the child suffering harm and recovering them to a place of safety as soon as possible. It is expected that all agencies working with children who are missing from home or care will implement these Procedures and ensure their staff are aware of it. 1.3 Scope of the Procedures These procedures cover children under the age of 18 (up to 25 for children with disabilities/special educational needs and Care Leavers) comprising:

• Children who are missing from care (including residential care homes); and • Children who are missing from home.

1.4 Kent Principles Children who are missing from home or care may be at greater risk of harm as a consequence of their basic need for food, safety, shelter and / or from the people with whom they may come into contact with. Risks can include physical harm, sexual exploitation, self-harm, substance abuse, radicalisation and involvement in a range of other criminal activities. Additional vulnerability due to their age, level of understanding or the significance and seriousness of the circumstances that led to the missing episode may also be present.

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Kent Safeguarding Childrens Board, together with partner agencies, have undertaken a number of positive steps to review policy and practice on missing children. This includes a dedicated working group led by the Kent Safeguarding Childrens Board to review Kent’s roles and responsibilities in terms of children missing from home and care, incorporating organisational learning from the 2012 Ofsted Missing Children Thematic Inspection. Our key principals are to ensure:

• The safety and welfare of the child is paramount; • Locating and returning the child to a safe environment; • Every “missing” child who returns will be offered a return interview by someone other than the

direct carer; • Every “missing” child who returns will be offered an independent third party return interview; • Alignment of practice and recording data; • Effective use of performance data, return interviews and The Young Lives Foundation to

better understand the needs of children who go missing; • Improved risk assessment procedures to provide a better coordinated response to episodes of

missing children; • Strengthening of partnership working to ensure consistent and robust information sharing

and pooling of resources to provide support to children at risk; • Improving our strategic approach to addressing the needs of missing children; and • Strengthened strategic planning and preventative work to inform practice and reduce the

number of children who go missing.

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2. Child/Young Person Missing from Home and Care Process Flow Chart

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3. Roles and Responsibilities 3.1 Strategic Leads There are two leads for missing children based within the Local Authority and Police respectively who are responsible for specifically identifying vulnerable absent / missing children and to “coordinate” a response in order to reduce long-term risk. Both roles will identify and share best practice in relation to all missing children investigations. 3.2 Missing Persons Liaison Officer The main purpose of the role is to maintain a comprehensive overview of missing children within a defined area in order to identify those who are at risk of significant harm, coordinating the response from internal departments and partners to reduce the likelihood of harm occurring to vulnerable children. 3.3 Missing Person Coordinator The role of the Missing Person Coordinators within the Central Referral Unit is to process the information in respect to any missing episode for a child and pass on to the relevant team to ensure a robust response is given. 3.4 Out of Area Placement Officer It is the responsibility of the placing Authority to ensure that return interviews are undertaken within statutory guidelines. The role of the Out of Area Placement Officer is to support the Missing Persons Coordinators and follow up with individual social workers or other local authorities when RIs are not received in a timely manner.

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4. Children at risk – Prevention and Planning 4.1 Pre-risk assessment Prior to each placement Specialist Children’s Services staff will assess the risk of the child going missing and record in the child’s Placement Plan. If the child has had previous missing episodes, the Care Plan and the Placement Plan (appendix 4) should include strategies to locate and minimise the likelihood of the child going missing in the future. Both Foster Carers and residential staff should be alert to the potential triggers and signals that a child is considering going missing. They will need to be proactive at this stage, engaging with the child to discover the cause(s) and put the relevant arrangements in place to encourage the child to remain at the placement. A Risk Assessment will be completed where the child is known to be at risk of running away. The risks should be discussed, where appropriate, at the Placement Planning Meeting and reflected in the day to day arrangements for the child. The Risk Assessment will include the push and pull factors (appendix 9). Should it be considered appropriate, the child must be given information about the risks of running away and the actions that will be taken. Where children run away from their care placement, their needs will be reassessed and their Care Plan updated to incorporate a risk management strategy to minimise missing from care incidents. If the risk assessment indicates a high risk of the child going missing, Social Workers and Foster Carers should prepare and maintain an updated ‘Grab Pack’ (appendix 5) which is to be shared with the Police if the child goes missing. If the child has had previous incidents of going missing, the Grab Pack will be shared with the relevant Missing Person Liaison Officer.

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5. Responding to a Report of a Child Missing from Home or Care

5.1 Response from Parents / Carers Children may go missing from home or care for a number of reasons. Parents and carers are expected to undertake a number of actions to try and locate a child who is missing before reporting them to the Police, as long as it is safe to do so:

• Fully search the accommodation and surrounding area / vehicles; • Search the home for any important leads e.g. mobile phones, diaries, letters, notes explaining

absence, email and website activity etc), which may inform the investigation and / or assist in protecting or recovering the child;

• Speak with other children / young people in the family or others who live in the home to obtain relevant information about the missing child; and

• Make all appropriate enquiries with regards to the whereabouts of the child. This will involve trying to contact the missing child, friends, family, associates, appropriate locations, local hospitals and the local police custody office.

For children missing from home or care, it is expected that the parent / carer will inform the Police without delay. When referring the child/young person to the Police, any relevant information that might help to find or support the child should be shared, including:

• Description of the child and their clothing; • Details of where the child was last seen and with whom; • Recent photograph of the child; • Relevant addresses, known associates and addresses frequented; • Previous history of absenteeism and circumstances of where found; • Circumstances under which the child is absent / missing; and • Any factors that increase the risk to the child.

See appendix 3 for further information. For Children in Care it is expected Specialist Children’s Services are contacted in the first instance where a Risk Assessment will be carried out. 5.2 Response from the Police Kent Police only use the category of “missing”, defined as “anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed” (College of Policing : Major Investigation & Public Protection : Missing Persons (2016)), and their response will be graded according to identified risk. When making a referral to the police, all relevant known details and background should be shared to inform the risk-assessment and subsequent decision-making process. Where risk cannot be accurately assessed without active investigation, appropriate lines of enquiry will be set to gather further information and inform the risk assessment. Nationally other forces also utilise the category of absent (see definitions in appendix 2) and therefore children placed outside of Kent or Medway may be categorised as such. Individuals whose whereabouts are known will not be considered (within police terminology) as Missing, however if there are concerns about the child/young person’s welfare, police officers will work within the local public protection procedures and partner agencies to ensure an appropriate safeguarding response is provided. This includes for children in care who are deemed to be ‘absent without authorisation’ (as defined within the Department for Education (2014) Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care).

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If a child’s whereabouts are not known and they are reported missing to the Police, initial questions are asked to identify whether the individual may be considered High Risk. In all cases a missing investigation will commence by recording the incident in the bespoke missing persons investigations system (COMPACT). An Investigating Officer will then complete a full risk assessment and, depending upon the level of risk to the child, a Duty Inspector or Senior Investigating Officer will oversee the investigation, undertaking reviews in line with ‘Authorised Professional Practice’. Investigation tasks will be completed, proportionate to the risk level and individual circumstances. The primary objective of any Police Investigation will be to safeguard the vulnerable child and deal with any potential identified offences. Should the individual return within a very short period of time and there are no specific identified vulnerabilities, then the report may be closed with a Found Report prior to Police attendance. High Risk: where the risk posed is immediate and there are substantial grounds for believing that the child is in danger through their own vulnerability; because they may have been a victim of serious crime; or because the public is in danger. Medium Risk: where the risk posed is likely to place the child in danger or they are a threat to themselves or others. Low Risk: there is no apparent threat of danger to either the subject or the public. The Association of Chief Police Officer Missing Persons Guidance 2013 states that missing incidents relating to any person under 18 years should NOT be classified as low risk. 5.3 Response from the Central Referral Unit If a child/young person is reported as missing to the police this information is recorded onto the police recording system (COMPACT). This system generates a real time notification to the Missing Children Coordinators email box based in the Central Referral Unit. Once the notification is received, the Missing Children Coordinators investigate Liberi (Specialist Children’s Services information system) to check the status of the child. The information relating to the missing incident will be recorded onto Liberi by the Missing Children Coordinators and the relevant team informed. Where there is no active involvement from Specialist Children’s Services the Missing Children Coordinators will forward a copy of the missing notification to the Early Help Triage Team based within the Central Referral Unit. Early Help Triage allocates to the Early Help District Team where the child resides to undertake the Return Interview and identify any risks and needs. If concerns are identified that meet Specialist Children’s Services thresholds the child/young person will be referred to the Central Duty Team. If the child has an open referral to Specialist Children’s Services, details of the missing episode are recorded on to Liberi and sent to the allocated Social Worker and the Team Mailbox. If appropriate, the notification is also sent to the Youth Justice Team and the Missing Education Team. Where there are safeguarding concerns identified for a child/young person who is either not in receipt of services from Specialist Children’s Services or placed in Kent by an Other Local Authority then a strategy discussion may be convened within the Central Referral Unit to consider what actions are required. If safeguarding concerns are identified for a child receiving services from Specialist Children’s Services the strategy discussion will be held locally. In addition to checking Liberi for current involvement, the Missing Children Coordinators will also screen the Care Director and Impulse systems to identify any children who are involved with either the Youth Justice Service or the Children Missing from Education Team. If involvement is identified then the relevant teams are notified. It has been recognised that a cohesive approach between professionals involved with a child is required to ensure that all risks are identified and addressed.

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When the child/young person is located, a found notification is sent to the Missing Children Coordinators from the COMPACT system, this is subsequently recorded onto Liberi and the relevant team notified that the child has been found. The expectation is that a Return Interview will be undertaken within 72 hours. If the child is a Child in Care placed by an Other Local Authority then the Other Local Authority has a statutory duty to notify Specialist Children’s Services of the placement. If the Missing Children Coordinators identify that this notification has not been submitted this is highlighted to the Other Local Authority Placement Officer to follow up with the placing authority. The Other Local Authority will be contacted to request a copy of the Return Interview form; once this has been received it is uploaded to Liberi as a document and a copy forwarded to Kent Safeguarding Childrens Board and the Missing Person Coordinator within the Police to gather intelligence. If there is a child/young person missing that is deemed high risk and information is required urgently then the Missing Person Liaison Officer within Kent Police will contact the Missing Children Coordinators within the Central Referral Unit. If the child is open to Specialist Children’s Services the Missing Children Coordinators will provide details of the allocated Social Worker to the Missing Person Liaison Officer within Police. If the child or young person is not known, Early Help Triage will complete a risk and needs form and send back to the Missing Person Liaison Officer. 5.4 Response from the Local Authority Kent County Council will respond to missing episodes in accordance with current legislation and guidance with specific reference to the updated Statutory Guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care issued by Department of Education in January 2014. In particular Specialist Children’s Services will consider what assessment and intervention needs to be carried out following a missing person episode and will give due consideration to the level of risk and vulnerability for the child or young person in deciding on the most appropriate response. Children and young people who go missing from home or care may be considered ‘Children in Need’ and may therefore be entitled to a service under Section 17 of The Children Act 1989. Furthermore it is recognised that dependent on individual circumstances such as parental response, the child or young person may be considered at risk of, or subject to, significant harm and therefore a child in need of protection. In these circumstances child protection procedures would be followed. If these thresholds are not met the child’s needs may be responded to by a multi-agency approach under the Kent Family Support Framework through Early Help and Preventative Services. 5.5 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children There are many additional factors to consider when Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children are reported missing and further practice guidance should be sought to ensure there is a coordinated approach to full information sharing. Close co-operation with UK Immigration and the Police is important. The assessment of need to inform the care plan may be critical in these circumstances and an assessment should seek to establish:

• Relevant details about the child/young person’s background before they came to the UK; • An understanding of the reasons that the child came to the UK; • An analysis of the child’s vulnerability to remaining under the influence of traffickers; • A risk assessment as to the likelihood of the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child going

missing; • Consider putting the child/young person in a safe place; and • The appropriateness of information being divulged as to the whereabouts of the young

person.

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When Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children are reported missing, they will retain their status of Child in Care unless one or more of the criteria are met.

• They return to a birth parent/someone with parental responsibility; • They are located in another country; • The case is taken over by another local authority; and / or • They are age assessed as being over 18yrs.

Children reported as missing, will be reviewed by the Public Protection Unit on a regular basis. By definition, a child reported missing from local authority care will be categorised by the Police as requiring special consideration. In this case, the Police National Computer (PNC) will automatically update the Police National Missing Persons Bureau.

Please refer to your own agency guidance for further detail. 5.6 Children Missing Education Children identified as missing education, who are not on a school roll, are investigated by the Fair Access Children Missing Education Team. Investigations are thorough and information requests are sent out to Other Local Authorities, NHS, Local Councils and Kent County Council’s Troubled Families Team. Officers research in depth using a number of Kent County Council databases to be able to identify where the child missing education is living. Where investigations lead us to believe that the young person has left the country, a referral is made to the Home Office to clarify the family are no longer in the UK; on receipt of confirmation the child missing education has left the Country the case is closed. Children Missing Education is part of Kent County Council’s Children Missing Strategy. When all avenues of investigation are exhausted the file is risk assessed by a Child Missing Education Officer. Where the outcome of the risk assessment is red, advice will be sought, initially from the Education Safeguarding Team to consider what actions are required. If further advice and guidance is required then the officer will contact the Central Referral Unit for a consultation to discuss the concerns. If a referral to Specialist Children’s Services is required then an Interagency Referral Form which is available via www.KSCB.org.uk is submitted. The Child Missing Education Officer will also forward a copy of the completed Risk Assessment to Kent Police Missing Person Coordinator.

The risk assessment ensures that appropriate professionals are aware of the child/young person and their circumstances should they or their family come to their attention. Kent Children Missing Education Team do not close any cases where a child is not found, the case is filed as dormant and the files reviewed monthly until information is received that confirms the whereabouts of the child/young person.

For further information visit the Kelsi website.

5.7 Children placed outside the Local Authority A letter has been sent by the Director of Specialist Children’s Services to all other placing authorities’ advising them of their duties when a child/young person in their care goes missing while placed in the Kent. For Children in Care placed by another local authority, the Missing Pathway will be opened on Liberi and a letter will be sent to the local authority, outlining their responsibility to complete a Return Interview, asking for a copy to be sent to the Central Referral Unit. It is the responsibility of the children/young people’s allocated Social Worker from the placing authority to ensure the Return Interview is undertaken.

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6. When a Child/Young Person is Found 6.1 Response from Parents / Carers Detailed in the “When your child is missing” leaflet (appendix 6) 6.2 Response from the Police Once a child has returned home, Kent Police will carry out a Follow up Visit as soon as possible. The aim of this is to check for any indications that the child/young person has suffered harm; establish the reasons for their disappearance; find out where and with whom they have been; and to give them an opportunity to disclose any offending by, or against, them. There may be occasions when it is appropriate or necessary for agencies and the family to discuss who will be responsible for returning the child. Police should not be requested to provide transport, unless absolutely necessary. In some instances it may be inappropriate to return a child to their home or placement and in such cases Kent Police will liaise with Specialist Children’s Services or the relevant Emergency Duty Team (out of hours) for an evaluation of their safety. Where there is reasonable cause to believe that a child is likely to suffer significant harm, particularly if returned home, Kent Police can take that child into Police Protection and remove them to suitable accommodation. In particular circumstances this could include the home from which the child originally went missing (Section 46 of the Children Act 1989). However, the Police are not given the power to use force to take a child into Police Protection but “reasonable force‟ may be used to prevent a child suffering significant harm. Police may also be required to assist Specialist Children’s Services in implementing Emergency Recovery Orders granted by the courts. Once the Follow up Visit is conducted a Found Report will be added which will trigger an automatic notification to Specialist Children’s Services to enable the commencement of the Return Interview process. If a child/young person is identified as particularly vulnerable, is missing for a period of 7 days, or is reported missing 3 times within a 90 day period then the Missing Person Liaison Officer will organise a professionals meeting. This may be predicated by a pre-existing structured meeting such as the Adolescent Risk Management Panel, but should not be delayed awaiting a structured meeting arranged for the future. If necessary the Missing Person Liaison Officer or another Officer will submit Child Protection Referrals to highlight safeguarding concerns, which may lead to Specialist Children’s Services instigating a strategy discussion and potential Section.47 Investigation. If a child refuses the Return Interview and is not known to Specialist Children’s Services, a Follow up Visit must be undertaken. 6.3 Response from the Central Referral Unit See Child/Young Person Missing from Home and Care Process Flow Chart above. 6.4 Response from the Local Authority Specialist Children’s Services will be responsible for recovering the child/young person and returning them to their home or placement, unless the child is located by Police. In some instances it may be inappropriate to return a child to their home or placement and in such cases the Police will contact Specialist Children Services or the County Duty Team (out of hours) for an evaluation of their safety.

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When another professional/associate has located the child/young person, Specialist Children’s Services will be responsible for making arrangements for their return to the Children’s Home/Foster placement. Where possible, residential staff/foster carers will transport the child themselves, however where this is not practical, arrangements will be agreed between the residential staff/foster carer and the social worker. There may be occasions where it is appropriate for the Police to assist. This will be subject to discussion and agreement on a case by case basis. Risk Factors should be recorded in the missing workspace on every occasion where a child is ‘missing’. A risk assessment must be completed and all discussions relating to the missing episodes should be clearly recorded on Liberi. Consideration will be given to the timeframes outlined for young people in both the unauthorised and missing categories. The initial completion and updating of the Risk Assessment should be used to inform and review the level of escalation as well as the child’s current care plan. This may include input from other practitioners/agencies currently involved in supporting the child such as the Social Worker, Children and Mental Health Services, Education Welfare or the school. The plan should outline any individual vulnerability and risk factors that could increase the chances of the child/young person going missing as well as information to help manage any missing episodes and finding the child. All care plans and risk assessments will be regularly reviewed, updated and recorded. 6.4.1 Specific consideration for Children in Care and Children subject to a Child Protection Plan Children in Care are particularly vulnerable in relation to missing episodes. At a national level, although the number of Children in Care going missing is a small percentage of the overall number, it is disproportionately high compared to the children’s population as a whole. Professionals should carefully consider the circumstances of the ‘return’ of the child in care to ensure that they are not being placed in a position of potential risk. If a child returns to a care setting of their own accord then this may be seen to be a safe setting. If the child/young person is ‘found’ then any signs of reluctance on the part of the child to return to their care setting should form part of a risk assessment before a child is ‘returned’ or accommodated elsewhere. On the child/young person’s return their health condition should be discussed with the child and the parents / carers immediately with an offer made to arrange medical attention if necessary. There may be some children or young people who should always be seen by a doctor e.g. with diabetes or young pregnant teenagers. If the nature of the need for medical attention is, or has the potential to be, part of a ‘Child Protection’ investigation then those procedures should be implemented. The child/young person will be reminded that they will be visited by a suitable professional who has been identified; the purpose of this interview is to establish safety and welfare. For those children and young people placed outside of the Local Authority and at some distance, arrangements should have been made at the outset of the placement for a person independent of the placement to undertake the Return Interview. In these circumstances this may not be the child’s Social Worker but an appropriate professional acting on behalf of Specialist Childrens Service. In all cases, the Independent Reviewing Officer should be informed of the child/young person’s return and updated regarding any circumstances of the episode. The Independent Reviewing Officer may consider convening a Child in Care Review if the missing persons episode(s) are raising significant concerns regarding the child’s safety and wellbeing or are likely to impact on the stability of the placement.

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6.5 Response from Early Help and Preventative Services When a missing child/young person has been found or has returned home, the Police will endeavour to complete a Follow up Visit, after which they are required to submit a record of this in the Found Report which is forwarded to the Missing Children Coordinators in Specialist Children’s Services. Once received Liberi (Specialist Children’s Services system) will be checked and if the child was previously open or is not known to Specialist Children’s Services the Missing and Found Reports are sent to Early Help Triage. Upon receipt of the Missing and Found Notifications in Triage, all Early Help and Education children’s systems are checked for historical background information and a Risk and Need Summary Form is completed. Any safeguarding concerns identified at this point are raised with the Triage Unit Leads and/or the Triage Manager for a decision on whether an Inter-Agency Referral should be raised with Specialist Children’s Services (this includes where the child/young person has had 3 or more missing episodes). If an Inter-Agency Referral is required, a Unit Lead or the Triage Manager will discuss the case with a Team Manager in the Central Duty Team and if agreed Triage will complete an Inter-Agency Referral and send to Central Duty Team via secure email. The same day the following forms are sent by Triage to the District where the child/young person lives:

a. The Missing and Found Reports; b. The completed Risk and Needs summary form; c. Return Interview undertaken form; d. Return Interview did not take place form; and e. The Child Sexual Exploitation ToolKit.

This is the process for all Missing Children including those for whom an Inter-Agency Referral has been raised (to avoid any delay whilst the Inter-Agency Referral is processed in Central Duty Team) plus those who are already open cases within the District. Upon receipt in the District, the District Manager will consider who the most relevant worker is, to undertake the Return Interview. This should be an Early Help Worker, either Unit, Youth Justice or Open Access. In addition, or should the child decline a Return Interview, a further independent interview must be offered through Young Lives Foundation (YLF) to complete the interview with the child on behalf of Early Help and Preventative Services (for those wanting an independent interview). The Return Interview should take place within 72 hours of the Found Report being received (see appendix 10 for Return Interview Prompt Sheet).

Once the Return Interview Forms have been completed, the Liberi system will be updated by Early Help (refer to the Early Help Missing Children Process flowchart – Appendix 7). Consideration should also be given to the needs of the child/young person and whether they have needs that can be met via the Open Access services available in the community such as targeted provision or additional support in Youth Hubs. Consideration should also be given to whether an Early Help Notification is required to provide support to the family to prevent future missing episodes and to address any concerns identified during the Return Interview. This will require the consent of the child/young person or their parent/carer. For a child/young person for whom there has been a significant concern found during the Return Interview process an escalation to Specialist Children’s Services will be made by completing an Inter-Agency Referral. For children who are already open to Early Help, their Family Plan will be reviewed and if necessary updated to include the work identified as required within the Return Interview process, this may include;

• An additional piece of targeted work for the child/young person around safety, drugs, alcohol or relationships;

• A change to the focus of the family work to address the issues raised by the missing event ; and • Amendments to the outcomes within the Family Plan.

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6.6 Response from Other Local Authorities placed children Following receipt of a Missing Notification, a covering letter together with the notification, is sent to the relevant Other Local Authority by the Missing Persons Coordinators and a copy uploaded to Liberi. The covering letter confirms the episode of missing and requests a copy of the Return Interview form or any relevant summary, once undertaken. The Found Notification is passed on to the Other Local Authority as it is received and a reminder request for the Return Interview Form or other relevant summary (if not received) is sent 2 weeks after the due date, and repeated 2 weeks later; requests for Return Interviews are chased up to 3 times, after 2 months, the episode will be finalised and closed. The Other Local Authority Placement Officer follows up with Other Local Authority Social Worker where Return Interviews are persistently not received. All Return Interviews are uploaded onto Liberi as documents by Missing Persons Coordinators and copies sent to the police. Any relevant Child Sexual Exploitation information from the Return Interviews is sent to the Child Sexual Exploitation Team by Other Local Authority Placement Officer.

6.7 Return Interviews When a young person is reported as missing from their placement, there is a statutory duty to undertake a Return Interview within 72 hours of their return (see appendix 10 for Return Interview Prompt Sheet). The Return Interview offer from Specialist Children’s Services encompasses the following: In all cases the first response to a missing episode is from the allocated social worker who will undertake the Return Interview. All children will be offered an independent Return Interview in addition to, or instead of, an interview with their Social Worker or Early Help Practitioner. In some cases the young person may not want to talk with their Social Worker in a Return Interview scenario but they may be open to having a conversation with a 3rd party; the Young Lives Foundation Return Interview is offered as an alternative option. The important thing is that the young person is offered the opportunity to talk about the reasons why they went missing and what they may have done or who they may have met in that period which may put them or others at risk. The template to be used in all Return Interviews is the Specialist Children’s Services version and on completion this will be uploaded to the young person’s Liberi record.

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7. Appendices

7.1 Appendix 1 - Legislative Framework and Useful Links These procedures have been developed by the Kent Safeguarding Childrens Board and should be used in conjunction with the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures. In addition, these procedures consider the following legislation: The Children Act 1989

The Children Act 2004

Working together to Safeguard Children 2015

Information Sharing Advice

LAC (2002) 17, ‘Children Missing from Home and Care – Good Practice Guidance’.

Statutory Guidance on Children who Run Away and Go Missing from Home or Care

Supporting local authorities to meet the requirements of National Indicator 71-Missing from home and Care Issued: July 2009

Housing Act 1996, Part 7

Child Abduction Act 1984

Case Law R (G) v London Borough of Southwark.

Education and Inspection Act 2006

The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Statutory Guidance(out of authority placement of looked after children)

The Children's Homes (England ) Regulations 2015

Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009

Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000

Kent & Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures.

Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking

UK Human Trafficking Centre

Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care (January 2014)

Ofsted Missing Children Thematic Inspection

Ofsted: Running Away (2012)

Useful Links: Children Missing Education: http://www.kelsi.org.uk/pru,-inclusion-and-attendance-service-

pias/attendance/children-missing-education

Child Sexual Exploitation Toolkit: http://www.kscb.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/53111/CSE-Toolkit-Kent-and-Medway-V5-August-2015.pdf

Safeguarding Trafficked Children Toolkit: http://www.kscb.org.uk/guidance/trafficking

Kelsi: www.kelsi.org.uk

Early Help and Preventative Services: www.kelsi.org.uk/earlyhelp

Kent County Council: www.kent.gov.uk

NSPCC: www.nspcc.org.uk

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NSPCC Whistle Blowing Advice Helpline: www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/dedicated-helplines/whistleblowing-advice-line/

Kent Police: www.kent.police.uk

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP): www.ceop.police.uk

Barnardos: www.barnardos.org.uk

Police Authorised Professional Practice: www.app.college.police.uk/

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7.2 Appendix 2 – Definitions Accommodated: a child/young person is accommodated if the Local Authority looks after him/her

with the voluntary agreement of the child or with the child if over the age of 16. Care Leaver: an eligible, relevant or former relevant child/young person as defined by the Children

Act 1989 (appendix 1). Child/young person: anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday.

Child in Care (CIC) (Previously Looked after Child - LAC): a child/young person who is placed in

care by a local authority by reason of a care order, or being accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 (appendix 1).

Child Abduction: where a person(s) takes or detains a child/young person by removing /

preventing them from being under the control of those with lawful authority (in line with the wording of the offence). This is a “crime in action” and must be reported to the police immediately.

Child trafficking: a child/young person transported for exploitative reasons is considered to be a

trafficking victim. Exploitation shall include, as a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, including begging, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the exploitation of criminal activities, or the removal of organs.

Child Sexual Exploitation Team: The Primary role of the team is to identify the intelligence picture

for the County and take on proactive investigations into the highest risk child sexual exploitation cases which involve:

• On street child sexual exploitation • A degree of organisation • Multiple offenders and/or victims • Victims deemed as High risk of child sexual exploitation or are otherwise particularly vulnerable. The team will then develop the intelligence and utilise the full array of multi-agency investigation, disruption and safeguarding opportunities that is available to manage and reduce risk to the victims and bring offenders to justice.

Children Missing Education: Any children of compulsory school age (5-18 years) who are not on a

school roll, and who are not receiving a suitable education otherwise, e.g. educated at home, privately or in alternative provision.

Forced Marriage: where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning disabilities,

cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used. Further guidance and information can be found at: Forced Marriage Guidance

Kent Missing Person Liaison Officer: oversees all Missing Persons Investigations for their area,

identifying and managing frequent and vulnerable Missing Persons through multi-agency liaison. Host local authority: the local authority in which a Child in Care is placed when placed out of the

responsible local authority’s area. Missing (National Police definition): Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be

considered as missing until located and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.

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Nationally, the police also use definition of Absent “A person not at a place where they are expected or required to be and there is no apparent risk”. (Kent Police have not adopted the Absent Category and it is a different classification to Unauthorised Absence used by Specialist Children’s Services).

Missing Child: a child/young person under 18, reported as missing to the police by family or

Carer(s). Missing from care: a Child in Care who is not at their placement or the place they are expected to

be (e.g., school) and their whereabouts is not known.

Modern Slavery: someone is in slavery if they are: forced to work-through mental or physical threat; owned or controlled by an ‘employer’, usually through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse; dehumanised, treated as commodity or bought and sold as a ‘property’; physically constrained or has restrictions placed on his/her freedom of movement.

The National Referral Mechanism: is a framework for identifying victims of human trafficking and ensuring they receive the appropriate protection and support.

A child/young person whose whereabouts is known would not be treated as either missing or absent under the police definition. Where a cyp has been recorded as absent, they will agree review times and any ongoing actions with the person reporting the absence.

Prevent: is the Government’s strategy which aims to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. In the Act this has simply been expressed as the need to “prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”

Public Protection Unit: leads on issues relating to child/young person abuse investigations, the

management of dangerous offenders, domestic abuse and the protection of vulnerable adults.

Radicalisation: refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism.

Responsible local authority: the local authority that is responsible for a Child in Care’s care and

care planning. Unauthorised Absence: Where a Child in Care’s whereabouts is known or thought to be known

but unconfirmed, they are not missing and may instead be considered as absent without authorisation from their placement. This is managed by Specialist Children’s Services and not be reported to the Police.

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children: A person under 18 years of age or who, in the absence

of documentary evidence establishing age, appears to be under that age “who” is applying for asylum in their own right and is separated from both parents and not being cared for by an adult who by law or custom has responsibility to do so.

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7.3 Appendix 3 - Information to be made available to the Police In incidences where a child/young person has been established as missing, the incident must be reported to the Police. If the child is deemed to be in immediate danger, call the police on 999. For all non-emergencies issues, dial 101. The following information is expected to be provided to the Police:

• child/young person full name and previous names; • Age and date of birth; • Gender; • Legal status; • Details of current address/family addresses; • Any mobile phone numbers and landline phone number; • Physical description including build, height, weight, hair, skin, eye colour, clothing etc; • Medical condition/medicine required and when; • Any warnings such as violent, depressed, on bail, suicidal etc; • Access to money, bus passes, transport, passport; • Time and location last seen and by whom; • Details of friends and associates; • Circumstances of going missing; • Situation immediately prior to the child/young person going missing; • If the incident out of character; • Social authority and Social Worker details; • Next of Kin details; • Vulnerability factors which increase risk to the child/young person - e.g. disability, mental

health issues; • Likely locations / associates / family members – Do any of these persons pose a risk to the

missing child (sexual exploitations, gangs, abuse, criminal activity and violence); and • An up to date photograph will need to be provided to the Police as soon as possible.

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7.4 Appendix 4 – Placement Plan and Care Plan Where there is a likelihood that a child in care may go missing from their established placement, their Placement Plan, completed by their Social Worker, should include an assessment of the likelihood that the child might go missing and the risk they may face as a consequence. All information should be included in the Placement Plan and Care Plan. This assessment of likelihood to run away should include information on the following: Factor Impacting on the likelihood of a child going missing

Details and Explanation

Likelihood of child going missing (push & Pull factors).

Consideration of any external influences that may result in a child’s removal without consent (Trafficking/Exploitation)

The degree of risk to the child if they go missing and their vulnerability if they run away.

Likelihood of the child being harboured. Child’s view on current placement/stability of their relationship at home.

The views of parents/carers on their child’s needs to be taken if their child is absent.

Any other factors increasing the child’s vulnerability.

All care plans and risk assessments should be regularly reviewed, updated and recorded to include the following information:

• The degree and nature of risk and vulnerability if the child goes missing; • The views of the child and those with parental responsibility on action to be taken if the child

goes missing; • The level of supervision/support that care staff will provide for the child; • How parents/carers will be informed if their child goes missing; • Consideration of any external influences that may result in a child’s removal without consent; • The likelihood of the child being harboured, any previous episodes, locations frequented by the

child and trigger Incidents; • Agreed interventions; • Placement stability – their feelings about the separation from their families, carers or friends or

about the placement they are in, or the restrictions placed on them; • Going missing as a coping strategy when difficulties arise; • Influences both within and outside the placement; and • A desire to return to their families/carers or spend time with their friends.

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7.5 Appendix 5 – Grab Pack The following information should be included with the child’s ‘Grab Pack’:

• Up to date photo; • Personal details of the child, including description; • Known addresses and history; • Legal status (Care Order); • Any known contact numbers/email address(es); • Behaviour details; • Other helpful information e.g. medical, physiological; • Details of previous missing episodes, if known, and where the child/young person was found; • Media consent forms for media use; and • Professionals involved.

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7.6 Appendix 6 – “When your child is missing” Leaflet

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7.7 Appendix 7 – Early Help Missing Children Process Flowchart

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7.8 Appendix 8 – Children Missing Education Risk Assessment

Name DOB: Address Search Checklist

Parent Name: Last known address: Date at last known address: Date of CME referral: Date of Assessment:

Impulse SEN School Census

Impulse Admissions

Electoral Roll

Capita One Keys to Success

Free School Meals

Health

IYSS Social Media

Risk Level: Low Risk – Medium Risk – High Risk –

Factor Supporting information (mandatory if yes selected)

Were there any safeguarding concerns on the Children Missing Education Referral?

Yes

No

Unknown

Did any safeguarding concerns come to light during the Children Missing Education investigation?

Yes

No

Unknown

Has any crime been committed by anyone in the family that has been reported to the police?

Yes

No

Unknown

Are any of the children subject to Child Sexual Exploitation?

Yes

No

Unknown

Were the family fleeing Domestic Abuse? Yes

No

Unknown

Are any of the children of an age to consider forced marriage or honour based violence?

Yes

No

Unknown

Is there any information about the family on Liberi (Social Services)?

Yes

No

Unknown

If age appropriate, is there any information on Careworks Database?

Yes

No

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Unknown

Have all phone numbers and emails been contacted?

Yes

No

Unknown

Has Early Help or School Liaison Officer been to knock on the door?

Yes

No

Unknown

Have the Borough Council confirmed family have moved?

Yes

No

Unknown

Have benefit payments stopped for the family? Yes

No

Unknown

Have Dr’s been contacted for any information regarding their whereabouts, concerns, last visit?

Yes

No

Unknown

Was there any response to S2S messages, or follow up with other agencies/ local authorities?

Yes

No

Unknown

Has a Home Office Border Agency check been completed?

Yes

No

Unknown

Was the school attendance for children below 95%?

Yes

No

Unknown

Summary of Referral:

Given the information above, indicate the level of percieved risk ticking the revelevant box below.

Low Risk There are no concerns for the child; no criminal activity has taken place.

Medium Risk There are some risks identified, and there may have been a referral to social services

High Risk There are substantial grounds for believing that the child is at risk. There is Police and/or social services involvement.

Officer completing risk assessment:

Risk Assessment Sent to:

Safeguarding

Team

Social

Services Kent Police

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Authorised by:

CME is part of Kent County Council’s Children Missing Strategy. When all avenues of investigation are exhausted the file is risk assessed by a CME Officer. Kent CME Team do not close any cases where the Child or Young Person(CYP) is not found, the case is filed as dormant and the files reviewed monthly until information is received that confirms the whereabouts of the child/young person.

• Low risk – the child will be made dormant on Impulse.

• Medium risk – check social services are aware if there is concern for the child’s wellbeing, child made dormant on Impulse and reviewed monthly by a CME Officer. If further advice and guidance is required then the officer will contact the Central Referral Unit team for a Consultation to discuss the concerns. If a referral to SCS is required then an Interagency Referral Form which is available via www.KSCB.org.uk is submitted. The CME officer will also forward a copy of the completed Risk Assessment to Kent Police Missing Person Coordinator.

• High risk – advice will be sought in the first instance from KCC Education Safeguarding Team to consider what actions are required. Where further advice and guidance is required the CME assistant will contact the Central Referral Unit team for a Consultation to discuss the concerns. If a referral to SCS is required then an Interagency Referral Form which is available via www.KSCB.org.uk is submitted. The CME officer will also forward a copy of the completed Risk Assessment to Kent Police Missing Person Coordinator.

For internal use only : Cases are made dormant on Impulse by selecting the ‘No Action’ radio button on the referral page, and completing the date the case was last reviewed. (The ceased to review button – ‘No further action’ MUST NOT be used for these cases.)

If there are significant concerns for a child’s safety or wellbeing, a referral to social services and/or the Police will be completed at that point of the investigation.

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7.9 Appendix 9 - Push and Pull Factors Push factors may include: Being bullied, threatened, abused (including through social media); Drug/alcohol use within the family or by the child/young person; Being let down by “trusted” adults; Lack of friends/peer relationships; Living with domestic violence; Homelessness/sofa surfing; Sibling difficulties (older sibling involved with Child Sexual Exploitation); Associating with older adults (or young people); Being alienated from family or community; Child in Care; Friendships/living with other young people that are victims of Child Sexual Exploitation; Offending behaviour/criminality; Mental health issues; History of previous abuse; and Peer violence.

Pull Factors may include: Meeting someone who thinks they are special; Being taken to clubs or adult venues; Receiving alcohol, drugs, money or gifts; Being part of an alternative scene, e.g. criminal gang or music scene; Being liked or accepted; Being offered somewhere to stay with no/different rules; Opportunity for new adventures; and The thrill from doing something risky or forbidden.

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7.10 Appendix 10 - Return Interview Prompt Sheet The Return Interviewer Prompt Sheet can be used to engage with the child/young person. It is not intended to be a list of questions to ask but a prompt sheet to encourage dialogue. Suggestions for areas to cover include: Does the child/young person know the reasons why they ran away? What are the key Push and Pull Factors?

• Was this the first time the child/young person has run away or has this happened before? • Did the child/young person run away alone or with others? • What caused them to run away? • Did they try and speak to family or friends before running away? • Did they try and speak to an agency or professional before running away? • Are they aware of a trigger for them to run, e.g. were they running away from something or

running to something? • Does this trigger still exist?

Events during missing episode (if appropriate)

• Where did the child/young person stay? • Who were they with? • How did they get food, washed, clothing, etc.? • Did they get help from anyone whilst they were missing? • How long did they stay away for? • What led them to return or be found?

Safeguarding

• Did the child/young person feel scared at any time for their own safety or the safety of others? Were they harmed in any way?

• Did they need any medical help at any time and if so did they get this and where from? • Did they feel pressurised or bullied into doing things they were not happy about? • Did they offend or be a victim of crime whilst they were away?

What next:

• Do the things that caused the young person to run away still exist? • What support do you need now to help prevent you from running away again? • Would this have helped you if you knew about any support you could get before you ran away?

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Kent Safeguarding Children Board ©

Sessions House

Maidstone

Kent

03000 421126

www.kscb.org.uk