Looked After Children Who Go Missing from
Residential and Foster Care in Scotland
Partnership in Action –
Keeping Children Safer
The following
is an for Police
15presentation
June 2017
Scotland and Staff
Superintendent Gillian Scott
Liz Lafferty, Social Work Scotland
Pilot Project Journey
• 3 pilot areas South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh and
Dundee City Councils
• 1 December 2015 – 30 November 2016
• National Missing Person Framework May 2017
• Police Scotland National Missing Person Unit
Aims and Objectives
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Keep looked after children and young people safe
Assist in making decisions when children or
young people go missing from their placement
Fulfil statutory duties of care to children and
young people and to the wider community
Interface with Child Sexual Exploitation agenda
Approach
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Corporate Parenting responsibilities
Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
Each child + each set of circumstances are unique
Best use of resources
Proportionate responses
Change in Approach
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Standardised and consistent approach
using best practice across Scotland
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Now includes children in foster care
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Significant change in categories of risk:
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Previous : Red/Amber/Green
Pilot: Absent. Missing - Low, Medium and
High
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Absent: Roles and Responsibilities
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Use the Prevention Plan and undertake a
Risk Assessment unique to each child
Where there are grounds to believe that the
absence involves no apparent risk, or the
level of risk is a tolerable one not meeting
the threshold for a police-led missing person
investigation.
The police do not need to be contacted
This is a local authority led investigation
Missing Person:
Roles and Responsibilities
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A missing person will be defined as anyone
whose whereabouts is unknown and:
where the circumstances are out of
character; or
the context suggests the person may be
subject to crime; or
the person is at risk of harm to themselves
or another
This is a Police led investigation
Risk Categories
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Low: apparent threat of danger to either the
child or the public is low
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Medium: the risk posed is likely to place the
child in danger or they are a threat to
themselves or others.
This is a Police led investigation
Risk Categories
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High: the risk posed is immediate and there
are substantial grounds for believing that:
the child is in danger through his/her own
vulnerability; and/or
the child may have been the victim of a
serious crime; and/or
the risk posed is immediate and there are
substantial grounds for believing that the
public is in danger
This is a Police led investigation
Missing Person Aide Memoire
Missing Person Initial Information
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Proactive approach – electronic template
Missing Person Form populated with
relevant information including that contained
in the risk assessment from the Child’s Plan
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Aide Memoire assists with information
required by the Police
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All carers know what the police are going to
ask and can prepare
Risk Assessment
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Assess and collate available information
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Include the 23 question risk guidance from
the Aide Memoire
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Reach clear and agreed risk grading
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Take appropriate action
Local Authority Responsibilities
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Care providers contact the Police via 101
but in high risk cases consider using 999
Provide detail to complete the missing
person form
Provide information from Prevention Plan
Consult with Police to agree risk grading
Police will lead the investigation
Local Authority Responsibilities
Care Providers should:
• Inform Lead Professional/relevant others
• Conduct thorough search of local authority/
home
• Contact family, friends and associates
• Identify other locations/places frequented
• Consider review of social media
Try to locate the child
Police Responsibilities
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Area Control Room to allocate Police
resource
Obtain full details and complete missing
person report
Obtain photos (both versions)
Circulate details of missing child
Investigate, search and regularly review risk
assessment.
When a child returns:
Care Provider Responsibilities
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Welcome child back/assess safety
Contact the Police/Lead Professional/others
Identify concerns/update child’s Prevention Plan
Notify Care Inspectorate, as appropriate
Establish events of missing episode and consider
push/pull factors
Identify emerging patterns and further actions
When a child returns:
Police Responsibilities
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Ensure safe and well check carried out
Cancel all circulations
Ensure missing person and concern forms
are fully updated
Ensure all vulnerability/concerns are
addressed
Return interview – to be carried out by most
appropriate person
Ensure return interview findings are recorded
and shared securely with relevant partners
Referral to the Reporter
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Referrals to the Reporter will be made in all
high risk cases
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In all other cases this should be done in
consultation with the Missing Person
Operational Co-ordinator and partners
Response to Escalating
Wellbeing Concerns
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Consider Interagency Referral Discussion
(IRD)
IRD will take place before investigation (except
when emergency measures are taken)
Where child protection issues are not
suspected raise Notification of Concern
Lead Professional instigates review of child’s
Prevention Plan
Consider further interventions and support
Other important considerations
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Weekly meetings with operational coordinator using partnership approach
Dedicated staff with protected time
Preventative measures and strategies
Information sharing
Informing the media
Progress in South Lanarkshire
• Shared vision and ownership
• Joint training just prior to implementation
• Key relationships and trust – both
strategically and operationally
• Buy in from children and young people
• Meticulous sharing and use of the data
• Prevention and Planning for other
vulnerable children and young people
Questions?…….
Contact Details
[email protected]
[email protected]