The National Missing Persons Framework Implementation Project identifies good practice in local areas that we work with. This good practice is listed below.
For more information about this good practice, please contact one of our National Coordinators for Scotland, Emily (emily.stewart@missingpeople.org.uk) or Emma (emma.wynack@missingpeople.org.uk)
The Framework Implementation Project identified the following good practice in Dundee around reporting children missing from residential care. In the context of children missing from residential care, good practice involves but is not limited to, clear professional roles and responsibilities; well-known warning signs of risk; and no unnecessary police involvement.
The following is useful good practice for residential care workers to consider when a child or young person is not where they are expected to be, and captures some of the learning summarised in McIver and Welch (2018) ‘Just out having a good time,’ an evaluation of a pilot project that focuses on Police Scotland’s and local authorities’ responses to children and young people that can be found here.
Missing policies in children’s residential care should consider and include the following steps when drafting action plans or missing-specific risk assessments for each child.
they should be reported missing immediately to the police
the professional or carer should make initial inquiries to try and find the child themselves. These inquiries should be based on their knowledge of the child and detailed in the risk assessment and care plan. They may include:
Care staff should keep a record of the actions that they have taken both before contacting the police and once they have done so (if reporting is necessary)
Every incident is different and will need to be thoroughly considered to understand the most appropriate action to be taken. The professional or carer should maintain a thorough level of professional curiosity during any missing incident. Any recent changes in the behaviour of the child, or previous missing incidents should be taken into account when deciding whether there is an immediate risk.
The immediate context of the child’s safety should also be taken into consideration. For example if they are known to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol this will increase the level of risk that they will come to harm and may therefore inform an escalated response.
Carers and the professionals responsible for the child’s care should, together, know them well and be able to identify if there has been a ‘trigger incident’ before the missing episodes which indicates they might come to harm, or if there have been other longer term indicators that there might be an immediate risk.
This list is not exhaustive and professionals and carers should be trained to spot warning signs.
Some of the indicators that they may be experiencing criminal and/or sexual exploitation may include:
This list is not exhaustive and professionals and carers should be trained to spot warning signs.
If the carer has immediate concerns they should contact the police. Or if they have undertaken reasonable actions to try and establish the whereabouts of the child, and the child has not returned or been found as expected, and they are therefore concerned that the child may suffer harm, then the carer should then contact the police.
They should explain any concerns thoroughly as well as providing any relevant information that may help to inform the investigation.
A child or young person may be reported missing according to a pre-agreed action plan or due to any new information about them being at risk of harm. Decisions should be informed by the carers professional judgement.
The child should not be reported as missing to the police arbitrarily (for example because a child has missed curfew by a short amount of time, unless the circumstances imply that this means there is an immediate risk) or as a disciplinary measure, only when there are concerns about their welfare or safety.
Call-takers within the police will take concerns from the carer seriously and follow Police Scotland missing person process when a report is made. Relevant information pertaining to the missing person will be recorded and background and intelligence checks will be completed to inform a risk assessment.
Once a missing report has been made to the police, all partners should work together to take any appropriate action to locate the child.
Good practice sees ongoing partnership working in place between local relevant agencies. Missing reports and a review of actions should be regularly reviewed in partnership meetings and agencies should hold one another to account in a positive way.
We have launched a regular email so that you can be aware of new missing person appeals and share them far and wide! We are also calling on all Heroes to be the eyes and ears for Missing People on the ground. Your sighting of a missing person could make a difference in a crucial time.