This Tees Protocol sets out the roles and responsibilities of multi-agency professionals when a child or young person is missing from home or care.

1. Introduction

1.1 Every year, as many as 100,000 children go missing or run away from home or care. There are lots of reasons why this might happen. Children may run from a problem, such as abuse or neglect at home, or run to somewhere they want to be. They may have been coerced to run away or go missing by someone else. The reasons behind why a child is missing from home or care are referred to as push or pull factors. Whatever the push or pull for a child to go missing, it is important that professionals in contact with children and young people are aware of and consider the risks they face when they are missing. Going missing should be treated as an indicator that the child / young person may be at risk of harm. When a child does go missing, the aim is to prevent that child suffering harm and to recover the child to safety as soon as possible. This protocol sets out the roles and responsibilities of multi-agency professionals when a child or young person is missing from home or care to safeguard them and ensure their wellbeing.

2. What does the term ‘missing’ mean?

2.1 A child or young person is classed as missing if their whereabouts cannot be established. They will be considered as missing until located and their well-being confirmed.

2.2 Young people whose whereabouts are known are not considered as missing, for example, a Child In Our Care whose whereabouts are known but who is not at their placement or place they are expected to be.

3. What to do when a child or young person goes missing

3.1 Responsibilities of the reporting individual
3.1.1 When a child or young person is not at a location they are expected to be, the reporting individual must take proactive steps to trace the child or young person’s whereabouts prior to contacting the Police and keep a record of the enquiries that they have made.

3.1.2 The College of Policing guidance states “the police are entitled to expect parents and carers, including staff acting in a parenting role in care homes, to accept normal parenting responsibilities and undertake reasonable actions to try and establish the whereabouts of the individual.” A young person will therefore not be recorded as missing until the carer / reporting person has undertaken all reasonable actions to ascertain their whereabouts, unless there is a genuine and immediate risk of harm that justifies police intervention.

3.1.3 Proactive attempts to locate the child or young person should include:

  • Physical checks of the residence, including the child’s bedroom and any other location the child may be hiding within the house/building.
  • Physical checks of any garden, garage, sheds, grounds and surrounding area(s).
  • Attempting to contact the missing person directly, via mobile phone, text, or social networking sites (e.g. Twitter/ Facebook/WhatsApp etc.).
  • Contacting the missing child or young person’s wider family and friends to ascertain if the child or young person is with them or has made contact.

3.1.4 Where such enquiries do not establish the whereabouts of the child or young person, the reporting individual should report the incident to the Police. If there are any serious concerns for the safety of the child at any stage, the police should be informed immediately. Missing person reports should be made via telephone to the non-emergency number 101 or by using the 999 system, if it believed the child or young person is at serious / immediate risk of harm. The person making the missing person report will be given a unique reference number, which should be retained and used in any future contact with the police regarding this matter.

3.1.5 Philomena Protocol
The Philomena Protocol is an interactive electronic form that applies to young people in children’s homes who are at risk of going missing. The protocol requires staff with caring responsibilities to carefully and sensitively gather and upload relevant information, such as places a young person frequently visits and up to date photographs, so that they can risk assess and work with the young person to prevent them from going missing. It also enables staff at the home to work in partnership with the police to trace the young people as quickly as possible if they do go missing. This child’s ‘passport’ should be updated following and reflected upon during every Missing episode.

The carer adds details about the young person to the Philomena Protocol form including:

  • a physical description
  • who their friends are
  • a recent photograph
  • whether they've gone missing before

Placement staff should refrain from using personal phones/emails for sharing Philomena forms with Police.

3.1.6 For all Child in Our Care Looked After Children, if not already done, the allocated social worker (or team manager if the social worker is not available) must be notified by the carer that the child has been reported missing to the police. The child’s parent(s) must also be notified as appropriate.

3.1.7 Where a child is not where they are expected to be but their location is known, they should not be reported as missing. However, where the child’s location places them at risk of harm, it may be appropriate to report the child to the police as being “at risk of harm” but the reporting individual still has a responsibility to remove the child from harm themselves, where it is safe to do so.

3.2 Responsibilities of the Police
3.2.1 The nature and extent of the police response to a missing person report will be based on an assessment of the information available, the reasons why the person may be missing, and the possibility of the person being at risk of harm. Assessment of the level of risk helps to define how enquiries should be conducted.

3.2.2 When a person is reported missing to Cleveland Police they will move through the following process:

  1. The call taker will speak with the reporting individual and obtain all relevant information from them about the missing young person. This will include working through a pre-determined question set. The answers obtained at this stage will allow the call taker to triage the missing episode and apply an initial risk assessment. The call taker will then pass the incident onto dispatch.
  2. Once with dispatch, the Force Incident Manager (FIM) will review the information and confirm the risk grading or escalate if appropriate. The missing person incident will be dispatched to the front line teams (Response).
  3. Once Response have taken ownership, the Duty Inspector will review the risk again, taking into account all known risk factors and identifying any cumulative risks known about the young person. The risk will continue to be reviewed throughout or as and when new information is received.

3.2.3 Police will conduct a reasonable and proportionate investigation into the whereabouts of a missing child. The nature, scale and pace of any investigation will be consistent with the risk assessment (see below table).

3.2.4 Where a Child in Our Care placed in the Tees area by an external Local Authority goes missing, Cleveland Police will share this information with the host and where known the home authority area. If information is shared with Cleveland Police by another Police Force about a missing episode of a Child in Our Care placed in another police area by a Tees Local Authority, this information will be forwarded to the relevant Local Authority.

3.2.5 Wanted / Missing
There will be occasions when people may be reported as missing who are wanted in relation to:

  • their suspected involvement in a criminal investigation
  • an outstanding warrant issued by a court
  • having absconded from lawful custody/care – being absent without leave (AWOL)
  • having entered the country without appropriate authority (see immigration cases)

Police should evaluate each case on an individual basis and respond appropriately, according to the priority that should be given in that case.

3.2.6 When completing this risk assessment, decision makers should consider both the prevailing risk to, and vulnerability of, the missing young person and public, as well as the requirement to pursue the young person, detain them, and ensure that they are subject to criminal justice processes. The views of the reporting person should be taken into consideration and the rationale for deciding on whether to treat the person as ‘missing’ should be discussed with them. Officers making decisions should be particularly mindful of the risks associated with children and vulnerable adults. It is important for decision makers to decide how they wish to involve the person reporting the missing person in the investigation. The reporting person may be a source of information to assist in tracing the missing person, they may, however, be acting with dishonest motives. Investigating officers must decide on the most appropriate approach, balancing the needs and risks of the investigation with the duty to keep people with a valid interest in the missing person updated on progress.

4. Active Missing Episode

4.1 During the missing episode, the professionals involved will identify the most appropriate agency to support the family. Depending on the circumstances of the case, this will generally be the police or Children’s Services Department however, in some instances, it may be more appropriate for another agency to assume this role.

4.2 Notification to the Media

4.2.1 Where necessary, it will be Cleveland Polices’ responsibility to advise the media and request their assistance during any missing episode but only after appropriate consultation with parents/guardians and/or the Local Authority).

4.3 Where a young person is missing for over 24 hours

4.3.1 Where a young person is missing for over 24 hours, the appropriate Children’s Social Care Service Manager and Assistant Director responsible for Children and Families must be informed. If the child has an Independent Reviewing Officer, they should also be informed at this time.

4.3.2 For any child who is missing for a period of more than 24 hours, an Officer of at least the rank of Inspector will conduct a comprehensive review of the investigation and risk surrounding the child and the missing episode. The Police or the Local Authority may call a multi-agency meeting at any point to develop a plan to manage and reduce any risks posed to or by the child while they are missing and to review and plan actions to locate them.

4.3.3 If the child or young person has not been located within 48 hours, a multi-agency Strategy Discussion must be considered by the responsible Local Authority.
Where the child is placed by a home Local Authority in another local authority area (host), it will be for the responsible home Local Authority to make a safeguarding referral to the host Local Authority Children’s Social Care requesting a Strategy Discussion.

4.3.4 For any child missing for a period of more than 48 hours a Detective Inspector will conduct a comprehensive review of the investigation and the risk surrounding the child and the missing episode.

4.3.5 If the child has been missing for 28 days, a senior Police Officer and a senior Children’s Social Care Manager should jointly review the case and take any actions they consider necessary to locate and return the child.

4.4 Strategy meetings / risk management meetings will be reconvened at regular intervals until the young person is located.

5. Location and Return of a Missing Young Person

5.1 When a reported child or young person returns home or is located and returned to a safe place other than by the Police, the Police must be notified as soon as possible by the parent or carer. At this point, the Childs’ parents or carers will be asked if there is anything the Police need to know about or act on immediately. If there is, e.g. the child has been the victim of a crime whilst missing, the police will prioritise their attendance, if not, the Police will arrange for a Safe and Well check (prevention interview) to be conducted as soon as possible but within 24 hours.

If the child has been deemed as a high risk missing from home then police should conduct a safe and well interview, if medium risk it should be considered. The Safe and Well Check will be undertaken unless nonattendance is authorized by the Police duty or control room inspector using THRIVE principles e/g where the child is in a place of safety with care staff with no concern disclosed.

5.2 When a child or young person is found, the child or young person should be returned to their home/placement unless it would be unsafe to do so. If it is unsafe, discussions with the Local Authority will determine an alternative and immediate course of action.

5.3 Where there is no risk to a parent or carer collecting a child or young person but the logistics make it difficult or impossible for them to do so, the responsible Local Authority for the child or young person must be contacted to assist.

5.4 If a child or young person who is in the care of the Local Authority is found by police or others, it is the responsibility of the residential care home or foster carers to collect and return the child or young person to a place of safety (unless the circumstances pose a risk to them or to the child or young person).

5.5 Where a Police Officer locates a missing child or young person and has reasonable cause to believe that the child or young person would otherwise be likely to suffer significant harm, the Officer may take the child into Police Protection and return them to a place of safety. The Police only have powers to return a young person to care if the circumstances are such that a child needs to be taken in to Police Protection.

5.6 Once a missing child is found it is important to understand why they went missing, protect them from harm and prevent future missing episodes.

5.7 Missing episodes are triaged daily as part of the local multi-agency HOTH arrangements to gather further information to explore any person or location of concern and to task out the return home discussion to the most appropriate person.

5.8 Following the location of a Missing Child a PPN should be submitted by police to the respective CHUB/MACH, it would only be in exceptional circumstances that this doesn’t occur an a clear rationale would be recorded on Police Systems.

5.9 Return Home Discussion

5.9.1 Statutory guidance requires that whenever a missing child is located and returned, they must be offered an independent return home discussion by the responsible Local Authority. Independent return home discussions provide an opportunity to uncover information that can help protect children and young people from all the associated risks of a repeat missing episode. This process is distinct from a police Prevention Interview check (which is not designed nor best placed to explore the causes of the child’s disappearance). The Return Home Discussion is offered within 72 hours of the child returning to their home or care setting.

5.9.2 The discussion should be held in a neutral place where the child or young person feels safe, comfortable and able to talk openly. When the child or young person is in the care of the Local Authority, the Independent Return Home Discussion should take place before they return to their placement wherever possible.

5.9.3 The discussion should:

  • Identify and deal with any harm the child or young person has suffered – including harm that might not have already been disclosed as part of the ‘Prevention Interview check’ – either before they ran away or whilst missing;
  • Appropriately challenge any inconsistencies between the account provided by the child, parent/carer during the police Prevention Interview check and the account provided in the Return Home Discussion
  • Understand, and try to address, the reasons why the child or young person went missing;
  • Help the child or young person feel safe and understand that they have options to prevent repeat instances of them running away;
  • Provide them with information on how to stay safe if they choose to go missing again, including helpline numbers and safe places, with a focus on reducing harm should the young person go missing again. Recording a list of actions and outcome focused family and multi-agency plan to prevent future missing incidents.

5.9.4 Who should undertake the Independent Return Home Discussion?

The Independent Return Home Discussion should be carried out by someone who is trained to carry out these discussions and is able to follow-up any actions that emerge. All Local Authorities are obliged to ensure that the interviewer is independent of the care of the child and, for children in care, the placement, save where a child or young person has a strong relationship with a carer or social worker and has expressed a preference to talk to them, rather than an independent person. Additionally, all children and young people who are looked after should be offered the option of speaking to an independent advocate.

5.9.6 A record of the Independent Return Home Discussion should be made using the relevant LA pro forma.

5.9.7 Where a child declines the offer of return home discussion by an Independent Worker, a record of the offer and reasons for refusal should be recorded. Parents and carers should be offered the opportunity to provide any relevant information and intelligence of which they may be aware. This should help to prevent further instances of the child going missing and identify early the support needed for them.
Record of the Independent Return Home Discussion.

5.9.8 Information sharing following an Independent Return Home Discussion
At the start of the Independent Return Home Discussion, the child or young person and their parents or carers should be told that any information obtained will be shared with relevant professionals unless there are reasons not to do so. If the child or young person, parent or carer refuses to consent to the information being shared, the discussion should not progress.


6. Useful guidance (Links on the Tees procedures Website)