Missing children and return interviews between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024
Case reference FOI2024/01923
Received 17 November 2024
Published 6 December 2024
Request
I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.
We are conducting a small research project to understand more about the current delivery of return interviews for children who have returned following a missing episode. Return interviews are set out in the Department for Education’s 2014 statutory guidance on children who runaway or go missing from home or care. We would like to understand how they are being delivered now, and whether local authorities would recommend any changes to the guidance around them.
We are requesting date for the period between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024. Thank you so much for your time in responding to our questions.
1. How many individual children were reported missing within your local authority?
2. How many total incidents were reported of children going missing within your local authority?
3. How many children were looked after by the local authority between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024?
4. How many individual looked after children went missing?
5. How many incidents were reported of looked after children going missing?
6. How many return interviews were offered to children following a missing incident?
7. How many return interviews were completed following a missing incident?
8. How many of these return interviews were completed within 72 hours of the child returning from the missing episode?
9. Who provides return interviews to children following a missing incident in your area?
Please select:
• Social workers (this could be the child’s social worker)
• Dedicated team or individual within the local authority
• Youth worker
• An independent service commissioned by the local authority
• Other
Please provide any detail possible about who is delivering return interviews in your area:
10. Do you provide or commission any follow-up support for children and young people following an RHI?
Yes/No
o If yes please give details:
11. Please tell us more about your return interview service. Would you like to see any changes in national guidance? What are the barriers to effective provision? What is working well in your area?
Response
I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.
We are conducting a small research project to understand more about the current delivery of return interviews for children who have returned following a missing episode. Return interviews are set out in the Department for Education’s 2014 statutory guidance on children who runaway or go missing from home or care. We would like to understand how they are being delivered now, and whether local authorities would recommend any changes to the guidance around them.
We are requesting date for the period between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024. Thank you so much for your time in responding to our questions.
1. How many individual children were reported missing within your local authority?
Answer: 126 children and young people.
2. How many total incidents were reported of children going missing within your local authority?
Answer: 284 children and young people.
3. How many children were looked after by the local authority between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024?
Answer: 508 children and young people.
4. How many individual looked after children went missing?
Answer: 36 incidents of looked after children.
5. How many incidents were reported of looked after children going missing?
Answer: 112 incidents of looked after children.
6. How many return interviews were offered to children following a missing incident?
Answer: 193 return home interviews offered.
7. How many return interviews were completed following a missing incident?
Answer: 132 return home interviews were completed.
8. How many of these return interviews were completed within 72 hours of the child returning from the missing episode?
Answer: 93 were completed within 72 hours.
9. Who provides return interviews to children following a missing incident in your area?
Please select:
• Social workers (this could be the child’s social worker)
• Dedicated team or individual within the local authority
• Youth worker
• An independent service commissioned by the local authority
• Other
Answer: Dedicated team or individual within the local authority.
Please provide any detail possible about who is delivering return interviews in your area:
Answer: SAFE Team duty missing worker provides return home interviews.
10. Do you provide or commission any follow-up support for children and young people following an RHI?
Answer: Yes.
o If yes please give details:
Answer: The Service Area have advised the team always provide missing guidance to all families when a child goes missing. We also complete missing trigger documents for children who have repeat missing episodes. This missing trigger plan is to ensure all information is captured within one document should the child go missing again. The information contains: missing circumstances, addresses they may have been to, peers and associates details, any additional needs such as health, mental health and any risks to the child such as self-harm and exploitation risks.
If any worries or risks are identified within the return home interview, such as safeguarding concerns, a MARF is submitted to Herefordshire MASH for this child/young person. Consent will be gained from the child and family for this. A GETSAFE risk assessment will also be submitted.
The GETSAFE risk assessment will then be screened by a multi-agency on the Monday Morning GETSAFE meeting for risk level and plan of intervention. The safe team provide preventative exploitation direct work with young people when support needs are identified.
11. Please tell us more about your return interview service. Would you like to see any changes in national guidance? What are the barriers to effective provision? What is working well in your area?
Answer: The Service Area have advised the barriers within return home interviews are ensuring if a looked after child is placed out of county, the local police force in their area is tasked with sending the placing local authority the police COMPACT notification for us to complete the return home interview. There is sometimes a delay with receiving notifications out of local authority area for these children, therefore the 72-hour return home interview process can be delayed.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.