Children and Young People who Go M issing from Home or C are

1. Children and Young People who Go Missing from Home or Care

2. What does it mean to be ‘Missing’ from Home or Care? National Guidance for Children and Young People Missing from Home or Care (2014) Defines children as ‘missing’ or ‘absent’ ACTIVITY ONE: In pairs / groups discuss what the difference is between ‘missing’ and ‘absent’

3. What does it mean to be ‘Missing’ from Home or Care? The national definition of ‘missing’ is: • Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established and where the circumstances are either out of character and / or the context suggests the person may be a subject of crime or at risk to themselves or others. The national definition of ‘absent’ is: • Anyone who is not at a place they are expected or required to be.

4. Missing or Absent? • They are missing if: • A young person’s whereabouts are NOT KNOWN. • They have made contact with someone but there are concerns that they are not where they say they are. • They say that they are at a place or with people that may not be appropriate. • They have not adhered to any curfews to return home and you don’t know where they are. • They are absent if: • A young person’s whereabouts are known but are not where they are required or expected to be. • The young person is at a place or with people who are known about and accepted as safe for them to be with. • A young person has not returned at the agreed timing makes contacts to say they are running late (train, bus etc.).

5. ACTIVITY TWO: Write down one reason why a child might go missing. Why do young people go missing?

6. PUSH factors – to get away from something: Poor home life Bullying Boredom Things that may make them feel inadequate, self conscious or devalued To get away from their own thoughts and feelings PULL factors – to get to somewhere they would rather be: To see friends To see family To do things they may not normally do or be allowed to do To go somewhere or do something fun Peer pressure Why do young people go missing?

7. What are the risks to young people while they are missing? • Grooming – • Gangs • Child sexual exploitation • Exploitation into offending and modern day slavery • Radicalisation • Trafficking • Victim of other criminal activities • Perpetrator of criminal activities • Drug and alcohol use • Having contact with a person or persons who pose a risk to young people • Accidents or even Death

8. Children Missing Education • Children and young people on reduced time tables, exclusions and not on a school role are particularly vulnerable to missing episodes. • Possible underlying causes of challenging behaviour and disengagement from education can be rooted in experience outside of the school setting. • Not being in school can increase vulnerability, boredom, isolation from the usual circle of peers and can become a push for young people to escape the problems at school or a pull for young people to seek out other relationships or experiences that may not necessarily be safe.

9. What to do if a child has gone missing? • Discuss your concerns with your manager or safeguarding lead, decide on a range of actions which could include: • speak to the child or young person involved • Share your concerns with the parents, support them to report missing episodes to the police and advice on what they can do • Informing the police if the child is missing and hasn’t been reported by their parents. • Make a referral to Family Operations if the child is at risk of harm or in need. • With the consent of the parents, initiate a multi-agency meeting, consider completing the SET CSE Risk Assessment. • When a child returns ask them if they have had a missing chat. Let them know you can request one on their behalf

10. Reporting Missing to Essex Police • Persons under the age of 18 reported to the police are treated as MISSING PERSONS only. • Where the whereabouts of a child under 18 years cannot be established, they will be considered potentially at risk of harm and therefore Missing. • The purpose of the investigation is to identify the movements of the missing person in order to establish their current whereabouts and / or wellbeing

11. Responding to a missing episode… • Within 24 hours the Police will conduct a ‘vulnerability check’. • If young people are known to social care, their social worker will have meaningful contact within 48 hours. • ALL young people returning from a missing episode are offered a Independent Return Home Interview: this is the chance to talk to someone independent. All relevant agencies need to work together and with the young person to understand where they were and why they went and understand what happened while they were away. Planningand Prevention is key in supporting the young person to not go missing again in the future.

12. Missing Chats (Essex Independent Return Home Interviews) • Missing Chats provide an opportunity to uncover information that can help protect children from the risk of further missing episodes, from risks they may be exposed to whilst missing or from risk factors in their home or local community. • A good Missing Chat can: • Provide understanding and address the reasons why a child has run away. • Identify harm that may have occurred whilst the child was away • Allow professionals to identify actions to address and prevent further risks. • Help children feel safe. • Provide children with information on how to stay safe.

13. Essex Children that Go Missing have Told Us …

14. Listening to young people that go missing: • ACTIVITY THREE: • What might children want from adults when they return from missing episodes? How might they want us to respond? • What are the challenges?

15. Make Runaways Safe Charter: • Be understanding calm and relaxed with us. • Help us trust you and don’t judge. • Be straightforward and honest with us. • Listen to us and take us seriously. • Explain things to us, give us choices and don’t force us into making decisions that we don’t understand. • Show us respect (www.makerunawayssafe.org.uk)

16. Supporting parents of children that go missing: Offer practical advice, such as: • Check with child’s friends, school, neighbours, relatives etc; ask them to inform you immediately if they turn up. • Try to contact your child directly via mobile phone, text, or social networking sites • ask the police to carry out a welfare check on the house or location of concern if you are worried about their safety. • Report child missing to the Police on 999 straight away if you cannot find your child. • Think about what your child was wearing, have they taken extra clothes or items (bank cards, phones etc)? • Keep your phone with you at all times.

17. Getting Support for Young People • Missing Chats – please call 07920 286299 or email Missing.ReturnsInterviews@essex.gov.uk • Missing people: 116000 • Runaway Helpline: Freephone 0808 800 70 70 • Child line: 08001111 • Police: 999 or 101 in a non emergency • Family operations hub: 0345 603 7627