Where concerns with regard to a child repeatedly missing are raised a Missing Vulnerability and Risk Management meeting should be held and a plan developed. All relevant professionals and carers should be included in the meeting and a multi-agency response to addressing the concerns should be adopted. At the initial meeting the frequency of future meetings to review the plan should be agreed.
The Missing Vulnerability and Risk Management plan should include:
- A risk assessment;
- A reporting strategy – which should include guidance on who will report a child as absent and when to report them as missing;
- Recommendations on the minimum enquiries to be conducted by the Local Authority;
- Recommendations on the minimum enquiries to be conducted by the police;
- A Return Interview strategy; and
- A Missing intervention strategy to address the long-term risk and vulnerability factors. Missing interventions seek to reduce the risks that a child may be exposed to and prevent the likelihood of further incidents of the child being absent, away from placement without authorisation or missing
- A contingency plan to identify alternative actions that require a different approach if the actions in the plan fail to keep the child safe, for example, this might include an alternative address for the child.