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Contents

1. Definition of an Absent Child
2. Planning before the Event (Looked After Children)
3. Absent from Home (Children not Looked After)
4. Absence from the Looked After Service
5. Young People Who Go Missing Outside the Borough

1. Definition of an Absent Child

For the purpose of this chapter, a child is to be considered 'absent' in the following circumstances:

Unauthorised absence	Absence for a short period of time; sometimes it is known or suspected where the child might be.
Missing	A child will be classed as 'missing' if they are absent and staff or carers do not know where they are or when they are likely to return, and/or there are any circumstances giving rise to concern for the child. Such behaviour is likely to be out of character for the child and their absence should be reported immediately to the Police.
Absconded	For the purpose of this protocol a child is to be considered 'an absconder' if they are absent from their place of residence without authority and whilst this is not out of character it is in circumstances that give concern for the safety of the child, or where there is potential danger to the public. There may be a history of such behaviour by the child. Absence of this nature falls within this protocol. Children who break their bail or remand conditions will automatically fall within this definition and such cases should be reported to the police immediately.

Young people with a pattern of running away or being missing before being looked after by the Council, should have this fact documented on the case file and it should form part of a risk assessment at the time of accommodation. The assessment will form part of the placement plan and needs to be considered at reviews and changes of placement. Such plans must indicate those persons to whom the young person is likely to turn to and run to. Any named persons with whom the child is not permitted to remain must be clearly recorded, together with the reasons. The views of the parents and the child in respect of these arrangements must also be recorded. In some cases, the child may have been subject to a child protection conference and the recommendations will inform the risk assessment.

2. Planning before the Event (Looked After Children)

Prior to each planning meeting or review, including placement meetings, staff must consider whether it is appropriate to discuss associated risks of the child absenting himself/herself from his/her placement

If risks are posed, the child's plan should outline the strategies that will be adopted to reduce/prevent absence.

3. Absent from Home (Children not Looked After)

In any case of a child who goes missing, the police are the lead agency to investigate the circumstances and seek to find the child/young person. The fact that a child or young person is missing should always be reported to the police.

The report is initially made to the Police, the Police Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) will undertake a risk assessment, based on criteria referred to above in Section 1, Definition of an Absent Child and will then decide whether to refer the case to Children’s Services for the area in which the child lives.

If the report is made initially to Children’s Services, it will be established whether the child is already in receipt of a service. If so, the procedures set out in Section 4, Absence from the Looked After Service should be followed as appropriate.

If the child is not known and is under 11 years old, s/he is automatically considered to be a Child in Need and must be subject to a Child and Family Assessment.

If the child is over 11 years, the Manager must be consulted and consideration given to carrying out a Child and Family Assessment as a potential Child in Need.

3.1 When the Child is Found

A child or young person who runs away from home and returns voluntarily or is located and returned by the police must be provided with an 'independent interview' outside the family home. This does not need to be undertaken by a social worker but can be a teacher or a professional from another agency that knows the young person, and taking the young person's wishes into account where possible.

The independent interview should be arranged as soon as possible to establish the reasons why the young person ran away and if there are any issues within the home situation that caused them to leave. It is important to have a clear procedure to ensure that all young people are offered this opportunity.

In practice, when a child/young person reported missing the police are the lead agency. The police undertake a welfare visit if the child/young person returns home or is located and returned home. The police then send a Merlin Report to the Referral & Assessment Service and Education Welfare Service.

On Receipt of the Merlin, the Duty Manager checks the history of running away from home and the details of the police report on the home situation and decides what further action is required. The options would be as follows:

1. Children with an allocated social worker - information passed to allocated worker to follow up with young person and their family;
2. When CP / safeguarding concerns are being expressed by the child/young person to the police as the reason they are running away from home, then Section 47 CP process would be enacted. The independent interview with the child is then conducted as part of the Section 47 enquiry;
3. When the history on Framework or the police reports indicate that there are concerns within the family for example domestic violence, parental mental health or this is the third time the child/young person has run away from home, then a Child and Family Assessment would be undertaken. The independent interview would be part of the Assessment;
4. If there are no safeguarding or child in need concerns that necessitate a referral for assessment by CSS, then a contact should be opened on Framework and the independent interview will be undertaken by another agency (e.g. the Education Welfare Service, if the child/young person is not attending school, the school or another agency known to the young person). To ensure that young people have access to an independent interview, the Initial Contact Worker contacts the relevant agency* to request the independent interview is undertaken.

If a child/young person comes into reception and has run away from home due to family breakdown, the independent interview is undertaken by the Initial Contact Worker as part of the 'referral on process' to Diversion or the Youth Support Teams. This information should be passed to EWS / school when the child / young person is of school age.

4. Absence from the Looked After Service

For Absences from Home (not Looked After), see Section 3, Absent from Home (Children not Looked After).

This section relates to children Absent from Foster care or Residential Care who are the responsibility of the Local Authority.

4.1 Immediate Actions

If it is safe to do so, staff or carers should locate and return the child to their placement address. However, no actions may be taken which may place the child or others at risk of injury, or which may result in an offence being committed.

If there are such risks, the staff/carers must consult their manager or the senior person on duty. In exceptional circumstances, where there is an immediate risk, the Police should be notified.

Searches beyond the local vicinity of the home may only be undertaken with the approval of the manager.

If staff are satisfied that the child is absent but they are aware or suspect the whereabouts of a child, they should consult a manager with a view to recovering the child. This may include attempting to communicate with the child on his or her mobile phone, searching for the child and/or obtaining information from others about the possible whereabouts of the child.

If it is not possible or not appropriate to recover the child, the manager of the home/supervising social worker and social worker or EDT must notified. If the EDT is notified, they must inform the Supervising Social Worker/Social Worker when normal hours resume. The social worker/supervising social worker should notify their manager at the first opportunity.

Forms 584 are available at care establishments and should be completed as fully as possible, particularly if the young person has gone missing for the first time. If possible a recent photograph should also be attached. This form can be faxed to the Police but this must be followed up by a telephone call.

4.2 Risk Assessment

The term ‘manager’ is used in the following contexts:

• Out of hours, this means the Emergency Duty Team (EDT);
• During normal working hours this means this means Home's Manager or foster carer’s Supervising Social Worker (in consultation with his/her manager and the child’s Social Worker);
• If the child is not placed in residential or foster care, it means the child's Social Worker/Team Manager.

The manager responsible for the immediate safety of the child should assess the level of risk posed by the child's absence e.g. either Low , Medium or High Risk.

To assist in this assessment, the manager should consider the following:

1. The legal status of the young person (e.g. is he/she lawfully detained?);
2. Any child suffering from suffering from debilitating conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, or amnesia;
3. Any child known, or suspected, to be at risk of suicide or self harm;
4. Any other child who gives cause for concern, having taken account of the child's circumstances and background; for example:
   1. Previously assessed level of vulnerability;
   2. Age of the child;
   3. Time of day or night;
   4. Risk of sexual exploitation;
   5. Physical/learning difficulties;
   6. Whether the child has any essential medical needs;
   7. Previous behaviour patterns;
   8. Any known problems with money, employment, friends/family/relationships, school/college, drugs or alcohol;
   9. Any agreement reached regarding staying out beyond the usual time;
   10. Her/his likely associations while missing;
   11. State of mind at time of going missing;
   12. Whether the child is a current victim of bullying or sexual, racial or homophobic harassment, or is the subject of local community concerns;
   13. Whether the child is at risk of sexual exploitation;
   14. Any identified risk that a parent/carer might pose, e.g. substance misuse, domestic violence, mental health concerns;
   15. Any other concerning circumstance at the time of the incident.

High Risk: Children missing in the following circumstances are always considered to be High Risk: Looked After Children who have been absent for more than 6 hours; A young person subject to curfew absent beyond the curfew onset; A child is abducted from care; Any child who is subject to a Child Protection Plan; Any child who is remanded or otherwise lawfully detained and absent without authority; Any child of 12 years or under.

4.3 Notifications

Low Risk e.g. there is no apparent threat of danger either to the subject or the public.	Action: No need to notify the Police or others. Manager must review the situation every two hours or as circumstances change. If the child remains absent for 6 hours s/he is automatically deemed to be 'High Risk'
Medium Risk e.g. the risk posed is likely to place the subject in danger or they are a threat to themselves or others. Some level of pro activity is required by Police or other agencies.	Action: The manager has discretion to notify or consult the Police, social worker or other professionals who know the child on the actions that are necessary. If the child remains absent for 6 hours s/he is automatically deemed to be 'High Risk'
High Risk The risk posed is immediate and there are substantial grounds for believing that the subject is in danger through their own vulnerability or mental state; or the risk posed is immediate and there are substantial grounds for believing that the public is in danger through the subject's mental state; or the level of risk will be accompanied by circumstances, which will require senior management in one or other agencies to be involved in press/media strategy and or close contact with other agencies.	Action: The Police and others must be notified (see next section).

Notifications must be made to:

• Police Missing Person's Unit (in the area where the child goes missing/is absent);
• If the child is subject to a Child Protection Enquiry or Child Protection Plan: the Police Child Abuse Investigation Team and the Register Custodian;
• The child's social worker or EDT, who should be asked to notify the social worker on the next working day;
• After consulting the social worker/EDT, the young person's parents or those with Parental Responsibility;
• If the young person is likely to be absent from school, the school;
• If the child is the subject of court proceedings or a court order, or a ward of the court the Council's Legal Services Department must also be informed so that appropriate action may be taken;
• If it is believed the child is involved in prostitution, the Regulatory Authority must be notified;
• In the case of an asylum seeking child, Her Majesty's Immigration Service, the National Missing Persons Helpline and the Refugee Council must be notified.

4.4 Information to be made Available to the Police

When reporting an absence to the police, staff should make available:

• The full name of the child, date or birth, sex and ethnic identity;
• A description of the child, including height, colour of eyes, clothing, etc;
• A recent photograph;
• Family addresses;
• Known acquaintances;
• Any previous history of absconding;
• Name and phone number of social worker;
• Details of any court order;
• When the child was last seen, in what circumstances, and by whom;
• The name and address of the child's GP and Dentist;
• Any circumstances which might increase the risk to the child.

Staff should also make available to the Police any information arising out of their own risk assessment including the results of any room search (for potential information on the child's whereabouts) and which members of the child's family and friends have already been contacted and any information resulting from this.

4.5 Monitoring and Reviewing Absences

If the child is absent for 24 hours, the Fostering Service Manager or Team Manager should review the actions that have been taken and should review the case every day thereafter, until 5 days have elapsed, the following should then be considered in consultation with the relevant Service Manager:

1. Convening a Strategy Discussion/Meeting;
2. Use by the Police of their powers to recover the child, for example, placing a child in Police Protection;
3. Notifications by the Police to the National Missing Persons Bureau;
4. An application for a Recovery Order;
5. An application for a Secure Accommodation Order;
6. The use of publicity, see next section.

4.6 Informing the Press

It is for the Police to advise the media about a child missing from the care of the local authority. This will be done in accordance with Police rules about communications with the media. A decision to publicise the absence in the Press and/or Television will always be made by the Designated Manager (Publicity) in consultation with the Press Office and a senior manager in Children's Specialist Services.

4.7 Returning Children

The responsible manager should plan for the child's return e.g:

• Will the child return to the same placement?
• How will s/he be conveyed there?
• Do the Police wish to interview the child before s/he is returned to the placement?
• Who would be an appropriate "independent person" to talk to the child after his/her return?

The Police will usually co-operate in the plans to return a child but, unless there is a serious risk (e.g. of an offence being committed) it is the responsibility of the manager/staff to return the child.

The Police, social worker and others notified of the absence must be informed when the child returns.

The circumstances of every child's absence will be discussed with them on their return. The child should be given the opportunity, by the person returning them, to talk to someone independent of the home or foster home about their absence. This person should have no line management with the home or fostering service nor should they be related to any member of staff or the foster carer. In some circumstances this person could be a police officer. It may be, however, that the child would prefer to speak to their primary carer or social worker.

It is the responsibility of the Senior Residential Staff of the home to ensure that, where requested, the child receives an interview with an 'independent person' within 72 hours of their return from absence. In the case of a young person missing from foster care the social worker should visit the young person within 72 hours of their return.

The purpose of this meeting is to give the child an opportunity to talk about the reasons for their absence and follow up any concerns or Complaints. Appropriate action should be taken to pass on information to the relevant agency if Child Protection concerns are raised.

The outcome of the meeting with the child should be discussed with the social worker and manager of the home with a view to deciding what strategies can be adopted to prevent further absences, and to assess whether the child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.

If the child was absent for three days or more or the absence was one of three episodes reported to the Police in the previous four weeks, the Police should be asked to contribute to these discussions. An assessment as to whether the placement is still able to meet the young person's needs should be undertaken. If it is felt that it does not a meeting should be arranged to review the child's plans (e.g. Placement Plan/Placement Information Record.

Where any allegation of Significant Harm is made or becomes apparent, child protection procedures should be implemented. This will include considering the necessity for an Achieving Best Evidence interview.

Where there is any suggestion that the child has been a victim or perpetrator of a crime, consideration must be given to the securing of evidence for possible forensic examination. This should include securing their clothing and delaying any opportunity to bathe in appropriate cases.

5. Young People Who go Missing Outside the Borough

If a child becomes missing outside the borough, the carer in charge of the external activity or holiday will:

• Institute a search in the area where the child went missing;
• Notify the local police in that area;
• Notify a Senior Manager at the home if relevant;
• Notify the child's Social Worker at the responsible Social Services Office;
• Notify the Emergency Duty Team if out of hours;
• Notify the child's parents or guardian.

The senior manager of the home will be responsible for ensuring the general procedures, in relation to a missing child, are followed.

The senior manager of the home or the carer in charge of the activity will decide within 24 hours of the absence whether it is appropriate for the remaining members of the party to return home.

In the case of an asylum seeking child, Social Services are required to notify Her Majesty's Immigration Service, the National Missing Persons Helpline and the Refugee Council.

Ongoing communication regarding the missing child will be maintained between the home or foster carer and the local police in the area where the absence occurred, and the situation will be reviewed regularly.

End