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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Aims
3. What does this Mean in Practice?
4. Risk Assessment Forms
5. What to do in the Event that a Young Person is Deemed Missing
6. How Can I Decide if it’s an Unauthorised Absence Rather than Missing?
7. What to do in the Event that a Child is Deemed to be Unauthorised

1. Introduction

It would be easy to see these procedures primarily as a means to reduce the number of times we involve the Police when young people do not return home, saving the disruption this causes and making it easier to “give permission” for young people to be away for the night without the level of information that a good parent would want to ensure they are safe.

To see the procedures in these terms would be a mistake, miss the point and likely to result in poor decisions or complacency which increases risk to children.

Carers need to read and understand the context and aims of these procedures as summarised in this document, before trying to follow the steps and apply procedures in practice.

2. Aims

The main aims of the procedures are:

• To reduce Absconding, and ensure a thorough understanding of issues that cause young people to abscond.
• Make sure risks are identified and when real and significant risks are indicated – robust action is taken to protect vulnerable children from harm.
• To make sure safeguarding is a multi agency task so that information is shared effectively and decisions taken in partnership.
• To make sure care planning addresses the issues that contribute to children absconding.
• To encourage young people to share as much information as possible about their movements when they fail to return in good time
• To ensure we speak to children and act on their concerns.
• To use independent people to interview young people when they return from being missing

Research identifies the following factors for young people who abscond in foster care:

· Conflict with peers, poor relationships with birth family and carers and a sense of not being cared for may be factors in why the young person go missing from the home.

· Absconding is a clear sign of disengaging and likely to impact in other areas such as non attendance in education, offending and substance misuse.

3. What does this Mean in Practice?

The procedures require that when a young person does not return home when we expect them to, we take all the usual steps to locate them as a good parent would.

If it is apparent that the young person is not intending to return to the placement for the night or past midnight (unless risk assessment identifies earlier action ). We need to asses whether, under the procedures they treated as missing or unauthorised persons.

Our procedures define unauthorised absence:

“Some children who are Looked After absent themselves from their placement for a short period and then return, often their whereabouts are known or may be quickly established through contact with family or friends or are unknown but the children are not considered at risk. Sometimes children stay out longer than agreed as a boundary testing activity which is well within the range of normal teenage behaviour. These children have taken unauthorised absence, and would not usually come within the definition of missing for this Procedure. Unauthorised absences must be carefully monitored however as the child may subsequently be regarded as missing.

It should be noted that procedures indicate that if a young person’s whereabouts are known – they cannot be missing. This does not mean that the Police cannot be consulted or asked to assist if there are clear child protection issues.

Fortunately the procedures contain comprehensive risk assessment forms which help with this and all decisions relating to how to proceed should be informed by these assessments.

Good Practice:-

• Try to contact the young person by phone.
• Talk to known contacts, family, friends and education provider.
• Follow any steps to manage risk as outlined in their risk assessments.
• Consult with social workers, a manager or EDT.
• Both missing and unauthorised absence need to be taken seriously with clear decision making; monitoring and review; follow up and care planning, including review of risk assessment.
• Talking to young people about their concerns and acting upon them will help.

4. Risk Assessment Forms

4.1 Social Care Pre – incident Risk Assessment: Appendix 2

The purpose of this form is to assess what is known about the young person and the level of risk likely to be present if they abscond. It will identify what action carers should take in the event they do not return to the placement or abscond overnight.

The form should be completed in consultation with the young person, the young person’s allocated social worker, their parent when possible and the young person’s key worker. The form should state who was involved in the assessment and be signed by all participants. For a new placement these forms should be completed at the placement planning meeting part 2.

4.2 Missing Child Risk Assessment Record (Appendix 3)

This form is comprehensive and needs to be completed when a young person is reported as “missing” or having an “unauthorised absence” as defined by the procedures.

This is a useful tool to assess whether a young person is “missing” or taking “unauthorised absence” and as such we should complete this along side the pre assessment form in consultation with the same people.

We should include all relevant current known information about the young person and it needs to refer to anything known about times they have absconded in the past.

On every occasion that a young person is reported “missing” this form needs to be updated to reflect the particular circumstances and a copy kept on file. The procedures state that “a copy of the most recent risk assessment should be kept on the file of all agencies working with the child”.

A copy of this form may need to be shared with:

• EDT
• The child’s allocated social worker
• Supervising social worker
• If the Young Person is reported missing, we must share the information in appendices 2 &3 with the Police.

The procedures state,”for every child, it should be explained what actions will be taken if they absent themselves without permission” & if appropriate, they should get a copy of the pre assessment form.

• All carers are responsible for ensuring they are familiar with and implement the actions recommended by these assessments.
• All carers are responsible for informing the social workers of any event that is not covered by the assessment or requires it to be amended.

5. What to do in the Event that a Young Person is Deemed “Missing”

1. Inform the Police as soon as possible.
2. Complete appendix 4 – information sharing form for Police missing persons unit.
3. Share information and record as outlined above – copy of Appendix 3 to be completed and put in carers recording file.
4. Police will want to visit the placement where they were last seen, procedures allow for this to be negotiated to reduce disruption to the unit. If foster carers can reassure Police they have searched the house and the young persons room – Police should not need to do this.
5. Carers should take all reasonable and practical steps that a good parent would take to ensure the child’s safe and speedy return, i.e. phone them, their friends, family etc. and when practical visit places they may be. We should also inform their education provision and make sure we are informed if they are seen.
6. The social workers or EDT should be informed at the earliest opportunity. Carers should update and consult with the allocated social worker until the young person returns and share any relevant information.
7. When the young person returns they need to be debriefed using form appendix 5 – Return Questionnaire. This will be by someone independent organised by the social worker.

6. How Can I Decide if it’s an Unauthorised Absence Rather than Missing?

Carers can take the decision to treat a child as being “unauthorised absence” only if:

· The circumstances are consistent with decisions taken to support such action in the risk assessments appendix 2 and 3

· This has been discussed and agreed in consultation with the allocated social worker or EDT.

· If in doubt or none of the above apply – they must be treated as “missing”.

7. What to do in the Event that a Child is Deemed to be Unauthorised

Whilst being “unauthorised” indicates that risk of Significant Harm is lower, it does not mean there are no risks to the child. The fact that the Police are not notified places responsibility of monitoring and managing the risk on foster carers and social workers. By effectively monitoring, gathering and sharing information, we must be satisfied that there has been no change to the level of risk and that we can continue to treat them as being unauthorised.

Carers need to be aware that good practice dictates that, apart from reporting to the Police, carers should follow the same guidance as when they are deemed missing. See Section 5, What to do in the Event that a Young Person is Deemed Missing.

The follow up and monitoring must include any actions outlined in the risk assessments (Appendices 2and 3).

• Review the situation and check how long they have been having an unauthorised absence, what contact or information is available as to where they may be.
• Review the situation with the social workers or EDT who will decide whether the situation remains one of unauthorised absence or whether the young person has become missing.
• Unless specifically stated in the risk assessment or by agreement of a Head of Service, any child absconding and treated as “unauthorised absence” should be treated as missing within 48 hrs of them being absent from the placement and appropriate procedures followed.
• If any information comes to light at any time that could increase the risk to a young person deemed as “unauthorised”, carers are responsible for consulting with the social workers or EDT and should consider whether they need to be reassessed as being “missing” under the procedures.
• Record fully in the young person’s log

When the young person returns, they should be debriefed informally along similar lines to the return questionnaire in appendix 5 and their responses logged in foster carers recording logs and shared with the social workers.

If they abscond but are not “missing” more than 3 times in a 28 day period, they must be offered an independent debrief as if they were missing.

Appendix 6 ‘Children Missing Monitoring Form’ will also need to be completed by the foster carers once a month and passed onto the supervising social worker.

End