Missing from care

Learning outcomes

• Distinguish between missing and absent, and apply the right response
• Follow the missing-from-care protocol and notification timescales
• Understand push and pull factors and the link to exploitation
• Support and act on the independent return home interview

Module 1 of 3

Missing or absent

A child is missing when their whereabouts are unknown and there is a risk of harm. A child is absent when they are not where they are expected to be but their location is known and there is no immediate risk. Both are recorded; only missing triggers a police report.

Every child has a written missing protocol agreed at placement, listing risk level, known associates, places they go, a recent photograph and any specific vulnerabilities.

Module 2 of 3

The response

Check the property and grounds, phone the child and their known contacts, and check agreed locations. Report to the police without delay for any child assessed as high risk, and in all cases within the timescale set out in their protocol.

Notify the manager, the placing authority and, where appropriate, parents or carers. Keep a running log with times and actions. On return, welcome the child warmly and offer food, warmth and medical attention before any conversation about where they were.

Module 3 of 3

Return home interviews and patterns

An independent return home interview must be offered within 72 hours. It exists to understand push factors, such as conflict or feeling unsafe in placement, and pull factors, such as friends, family or people exploiting the child.

Repeated missing episodes are a strong indicator of exploitation. Map the patterns — times, days, locations, associates — and escalate through the safeguarding route rather than treating each episode in isolation.