How to safeguard everyone in your household

Children in the care of a local authority often have a history of inconsistent parenting and poor adult role models. This may lead them to display behaviours which can place them and sometimes others at risk.

One such behaviour is absconding, going missing or staying out beyond agreed times. The reasons for such absences are varied and complex and should not be viewed in isolation from their home circumstances and experience of care.

Every effort should be made to ensure the safety and well being of looked-after children and young people. Each incident where a child or young person is missing must therefore require immediate attention from all the professionals involved, including foster carers and residential care staff.

The professionals must collaborate to ensure a consistent and coherent action plan is drawn up to secure the return of the child or young person.

When a child or young person goes missing from care, the police are always involved and it is therefore, important that social care staff and the police work together.

The definition of a missing child

There are various different terms which are used in relation to missing children. Statutory Guidance On Children Who Run Away Or Go Missing From Home Or Care (January 2014) (opens new window) uses the following definitions:

• Missing Child: a child reported as missing to the police by their family or carers
• Missing from Care: a looked-after child who is not at their placement or the place they are expected to be (such as school) and their whereabouts are not known
• Away from Placement Without Authorisation: a looked-after child whose whereabouts are known, but who's not at their placement or the place they are expected to be and the carer has concerns or the incident has been notified to the local authority or police
• Young Runaway: A child who has run away from their home or care placement, or feels they have been forced or lured to leave

The police (ACPO Interim Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons (2013)) categorise children as either Missing or Absent:

• Missing: Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established and where the circumstances are out of character, or the context suggests the person may be subject of crime or at risk of harm to themselves or another
• Absent: A person is not at a place where they are expected or required to be

Advice for foster carers when the children are missing or absent

When a foster carer realises that a child is missing from their care, they should consider which definition applies.

If the carer is unsure, then they can phone the child's social worker for advice during working hours, and the fostering duty team or Emergency Duty Team for out of hours support.

If a child falls is missing, the foster care must, without delay inform:

• Police - provide as much detail about the child as possible
• Child's social worker or team manager - if out of hours the Emergency Duty Team
• The parents and those with parental responsibility - the decision to inform parents/those with parental responsibility must be made in consultation with the social worker, team manager or Emergency Duty Team

If the child is absent, the foster carer must:

Speak to the child's social worker or team manager to discuss whether they should be reported to the police straight away or if a decision to report to the police should be delayed for a period of time. Any decision to delay reporting to the police must be made by the social worker, team manager or out of hours Emergency Duty Team.

Reporting

Details of any child, either missing or absent, should always be recorded by the foster carer on the child's online portal account. They must inform their Supervising Social Worker who will have further conversation with them. In the absence of the supervising social worker, the fostering duty team or the fostering on-call (out of hours) should be informed with details of the young person, length of absence and when returned. A 'Return Home Interview' (RHI) needs to be completed within 72 hours. The foster carer should confirm whether an RHI has taken place. This information would be entered into a fostering database for children missing or absent from care.

Contact numbers

• Police: 101
• Police emergency: 999
• Fostering duty team on call: 01603 306338
• Emergency Duty Team: 0344 800 8014

Standards and regulations

Fostering Services National Minimum Standards (England) 2011

Standard 5 - Missing From Care (opens new window)

Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care

• Standard 2 - Understand your role as a foster carer
• Standard 4 - Know how to communicate effectively

Read the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care