Children and Young People Missing from Home and Care
Last updated: March 19, 2012
Table of Contents
There is a now a Greater Manchester Common Approach to Missing Children, Mar 2012- click on the title to view/download.
This underpins LSCB policies and protocols. More information on the project to develop this is available here.This document is sometimes referred to as ‘Part A’ in reference to it being the first part of a wider Missing Person’s Approach, with Part B to be published, relating to Adults, in due course.
The policy detailed below is the previous GM LSCB policy which has not been updated since 2008 so does not necessarily reflect either current legislation or the above GM Common Approach.
1. Introduction and background
Going missing is a dangerous activity. A child or young person who goes missing just once faces the same immediate risks as faced by a child or young person who regularly goes missing. However, children who go missing when they are young [and/or more frequently] are more likely to face longer-term problems.
The following procedure has been created to provide a joined up multi agency response to children and young people who are missing or have gone missing from home and care.
Research has shown that every year approximately 77,000 under 16year olds go missing overnight in England. Peak ages for going missing are between 13 and 16 year old and a quarter are under 11 years old : Children’s Society, Still Running II.
1.i Why children go missing
The Children’s Society through its research has identified the following risk factors that can precede a missing incident:
- Arguments and conflicts
- Poor family relationships
- Physical and emotional abuse ? domestic violence / abuse
- Step parent issues
- Boundaries and control
The Common Assessment Framework [CAF] is key to assisting agencies to identify and respond effectively to these risk factors and going missing should be seriously considered as a possible outcome, and appropriate support put in place to prevent any potential missing incidents.
Although in many cases young people who go missing from home are already known to agencies and in receipt of support before they run away, all agencies need to be able to recognise and respond to risk factors that could lead to missing incidents.
The immediate risks associated with going missing include:
- no means of support or legitimate income ? leading to high risk activities
- involvement in criminal activities
- victim of Abuse
- victim of crime, for example through sexual assault and exploitation
- alcohol/substance misuse
- deterioration of physical and mental health
- missing out on schooling and education.
- increased vulnerability
Longer-term risks include:
- long-term drug dependency / alcohol dependency
- crime
- homelessness.
- disengagement from education
- child sexual exploitation
- poor physical and/or mental health
The introduction of parenting work has significantly improved the comprehensive intervention on offer and parents report this has reduced the number of runaway incidents.
