Contents

1. Introduction
2. Agencies to be Notified
3. Strategy Discussion/Meeting
4. Follow-up Action by Children, Young People and Families
5. When the Child, Family or Adult is Found
6. Children Missing from Other Local Authorities

1. Introduction

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 unusual non-school attendance, missed appointments, 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 Child Protection Assessment
• 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 suspicious circumstances or about whom there are concerns - e.g. one who is subject to an Initial Assessment or Core Assessment where there are developing concerns about their safety

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 a Risk to Child Offender or other person suspected of previously harming a child.

2. Agencies to be Notified

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

The Children, Young People and Families Team must then inform the Service Manager, Safeguarding and Quality Assurance and the Police.

The Children, Young People and Families 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 the 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 Education Procedure.

The social worker must ensure that all those with Parental Responsibility are informed that the child is Missing.

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

3. Strategy Discussion/Meeting

If after following the above steps the child has not been traced, a Strategy Discussion/Meeting chaired by a manager from Children, Young People and Families should be convened within 5 working days.

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 Children, Young People and Families 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, Young People and Families

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
• 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 Service Manager, Safeguarding and Quality Assurance for distribution to her/his peers nationally, who in turn should circulate within their own Children's Social Care Services and local agencies.

The Service Manager should inform the Head of Service, Early Years & Family Support and the County’s Press office.

5. When the Child, Family or Adult is Found

When a child is found, 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 Child Protection Assessment and agree if a single or joint agency enquiry is necessary
• Who will interview the child if a Child Protection Assessment is to be initiated
• Who will interview the child if a Child Protection Assessment 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 the Police Liaison officer or an independent person.

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.

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.

If the child has been found outside the Oxfordshire area and is not likely to return, representatives of the ‘receiving’ local authority must be involved in the Strategy Discussion/Meeting and the transfer of responsibility for and/or services to the child and family must be discussed.

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

The child’s social worker and his or her manager must give explicit consideration on the need for legal action, and record the reasons for their decision.

6. Children Missing from Other Local Authorities

The Service Manager, Safeguarding and Quality Assurance 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