Why do children in residential care go missing, and where do they go whilst missing?
Case reference FOI2023/01577
Published 25 October 2023
Request
I write to request any information that you have on this topic, which may include internal reports or evaluations of the following:
- Innovative practices for dealing with missing children from residential care
- Strategies used to target resources to missing children from residential care
- Spatial behaviour of children who go missing from residential care (i.e., where they go whilst missing)
- Experiences and perceptions of partnership working with children's residential care homes and how this can be (or has been) improved
- Facilitators and barriers to identifying the reasons why children go missing from residential care
- Prevention activities in relation to children who go missing from residential care
- The effectiveness of Return Home Interviews and The Philomena Protocol with children who go missing from residential care in identifying the reasons why they go missing, and where they go whilst missing
Response
I write to request any information that you have on this topic, which may include internal reports or evaluations of the following:
- Innovative practices for dealing with missing children from residential care
A: The Safe team is a dedicated team in Herefordshire that specialises in all forms of child exploitation, including children who go missing. Children who are missing from care are discussed at a weekly Multi-Agency Exploitation and Complex Safeguarding Operation Group where information and intelligence in relation to the young person and the missing circumstances are shared. The panel consists of statutory agencies such as Police, Youth Justice and Health as well as local voluntary organisations. We will soon be launching 'GET SAFE' which is a multi-agency panel that reviews child exploitation risk assessments and rag rates each young person to aid decision-making on the pathway of intervention and support that they need. We are then able to build the Herefordshire picture of child criminal exploitation alongside identification of any complex abuse operations emerging. Missing trigger plans are also completed as well as implementing the Philomena Protocol
- Strategies used to target resources to missing children from residential care
A: Frequent missing young people may be open to the Risk Management process where the young person, parents and key professionals involved meet to look at the specific exploitation risks and devise a plan of intervention and support. This would feed into the Child in Care reviews. The Risk Management meetings are held 4 weekly for young people at significant risk and up to 12 weekly for those assessed at moderate risk.
- Spatial behaviour of children who go missing from residential care (i.e., where they go whilst missing)
A: The Service Area have a mapping tool of hotspots in Hereford for children and young people at risk of exploitation/missing. Often young people decline to share information about where they have been whilst missing. If there are names and locations that are shared by a young person then the SAFE Team will complete a mapping exercise to link areas and names and evaluate risk.
- Experiences and perceptions of partnership working with children's residential care homes and how this can be (or has been) improved
A: Residential providers liaise with the police when the young person goes missing and are involved with the Risk Management process and are present and involved with the Child in Care reviews. We work closely alongside providers and residential care homes to mitigate and manage the risk of children and young people going missing. It is envisaged that the introduction of our 'GET SAFE' model will further support providers and residential care homes.
- Facilitators and barriers to identifying the reasons why children go missing from residential care
A: Young people are initially spoken to by the Police as part of a welfare visit and then they are offered a Return Home Interview by the SAFE Team within 72 hours. One of the barriers is that young people do not want to disclose information and particularly if the person asking is a stranger to them.
- Prevention activities in relation to children who go missing from residential care
A: Care planning addresses what the child/young person's needs are and what resources are suitable to meet those needs. This would include specialist education provision, input from voluntary organisations and positive activities that are available locally. The SAFE Team will offer one-to-one work with the young person to raise their awareness of risks in the community and their understanding of grooming.
- The effectiveness of Return Home Interviews and The Philomena Protocol with children who go missing from residential care in identifying the reasons why they go missing, and where they go whilst missing
A: Return Home Interviews are offered by the SAFE Team within 72 hours of being found. On some occasions, children and young people are unhappy with their placement, their care plan or the family time arrangements that are in place. Some children gravitate back to the area where their birth family are living and some go missing with friends. In all situations we will endeavour to understand the reasons behind their going missing.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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