Guidance on when to report a child or young person missing

For guidance on when to report a child or young person missing, see the Safeguarding children who go missing from home or care all Wales Practice Guidance. This guidance talks about care placements making ‘reasonable efforts to establish the whereabouts of a child’ before reporting, and contains information on what to do when a child or young person is found, and what approach to take with them following a missing episode.

Please note: If there is concern for the safety of a child or young person, professionals should immediately report them missing to the police.

This practice guide includes a  Child Information Form as a record of important information when a for when a child or young person goes missing. This form is to be completed for children land young people looked after and be kept up to date with a recent photograph. Social Services should provide the form to a foster carer or placement provider and ask that they amend the form following any changes in information.

The Child Information Form should be shared with police when the child or young person is reported missing. This will assist police in risk assessing the missing episode to provide the appropriate response. Social Services should have a conversation with the child about the information recorded in the Child Information Form and should explain the circumstances under which the form will be shared with police and other agencies.