Missing and Absent Children 25/26

Target Group

This training is targeted at professionals in direct contact with children who contribute to assessments and multi-agency meetings including social workers, family support workers, police and others that work with children at risk of or who have been exploited.

Group Level 2 (regular contact with children, young people and/or parent/carer) or Level 3 (predominantly working with children) or above (including strategic leads) as set out in the Safeguarding Competency framework in London Safeguarding Child Procedures. NHS Inter-Collegiate Standards 2 and above for health professionals.

Aim

The aims of this session are:

• To review definitions of missing and absent, the legislation, protocols and procedures related to missing children and equip professionals with tools to assess risk and intervene appropriately when a child is at risk of or has been missing. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of the training participants should:

• An ability to distinguish between children who are missing and those who are considered absent from home/care.
• An improved knowledge around legislation and procedures related to missing and absent.
• An ability to understand roles and responsibilities of different agencies in relation to missing and absent, as set out in the LSCP Missing and Safeguarding Adolescents protocols.
• An improved knowledge around the signs and vulnerabilities of children at risk of missing.
• An improved knowledge around risk management & safety planning.
• An improved knowledge around parents/carers’ role in reducing missing episodes.
• An ability to effectively engage children to explore concerns around missing.
• An ability to increase skills in completing the preparatory tools, such as the grab pack.
• An improved knowledge around the purpose of and how to use Return Home Interviews as a tool.
• An improved knowledge of learning from Serious Case Reviews.
• An improved knowledge around the local services and support available for missing children.