Children's Services Missing or out of contact Service Users

If a young person 'looked after' by the local authority goes missing from care the local authority has a procedure to follow to ensure the child is reported missing to the police and necessary action is taken to secure the young person's safe return.

If parents, where there are child protection concerns, go missing with their child/children (including pregnant women), under the child protection procedures all local authorities and child protection units are notified in order to locate the child/children.

After young people leave our care, ongoing support is provided by 'Back Up' our care leavers support service. 'Back Up' proactively seeks to main contact with young people.

Procedure

The South Yorkshire Runaways Action Partnership Protocol.Published 2006.

Helplines

National Missing People's Helpline	0500 700700
South Yorkshire Police	0114 2202020
BMBC Assessment Team East	01226 775131
BMBC Assessment Team West	01226 772423
Emergency Duty Team	01226 715656
Children In Need Central	01226 648020

How the customer can help

Services will require as much information as possible about the missing person. Photographs can be very helpful.

Response times/next steps

The response time may depend on whether there is an agreed view that the situation needs an emergency response. The agencies involved with responding to the referral will agree the response time.