CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Reform calls for missing children system

A group of MPs has called for a police system for recording missing children to be scrapped because it does not safeguard them from harm.

A group of MPs has called for a police system for recording missing children to be scrapped because it does not safeguard them from harm.

An inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Group for runaway and missing children and adults claimed around 10,000 children could be at risk because the police have classed them as ‘absent' rather than ‘missing' under the system, which was introduced in 2013.

Under the system only children marked as ‘missing' will receive an active police response.

The inquiry also heard cases of children who were classed as ‘absent' but who had been groomed for sexual exploitation or drug running.

‘From Rotherham to Rochdale we have seen a pattern of young people and their families not being taken seriously,' said inquiry chair, Ann Coffey.

‘It is also shocking that there are unacceptable inconsistencies between and within police forces in their approach to missing children. 

‘It is now time for all police forces to abandon this hit and miss system. 

‘Children deserve the same protection wherever they live.

‘There needs to be a joint risk assessment by police and children's services - otherwise children can be left at terrible risk which could have been prevented,' added Ms Coffey.

The inquiry also called for the police and children's services to jointly commission return home interviews for every missing child.

‘We strongly support the aims within this report to bring clarity and consistency to this highly complex issue, to make sure that organisations work together effectively to find missing children as quickly as possible,' said the vice-chair of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, Cllr Richard Watts.

‘Any new approach to risk assessment should be developed alongside frontline social workers to make sure that it will work in practice.

‘It's also vital that councils and others continue to focus on preventing children from going missing in the first place, and seek to understand the reasons that children have gone missing to provide the appropriate help and support on their return home,' added Cllr Watts.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Common ground in the battle for reform

By Heather Jameson | 13 November 2024

Trevor Holden and Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen speak to Heather Jameson about their desire to work with the Government to co-design public sector reform from the b...

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

A 'no magic bullet' plan for improving young people's lives

By Jonathan Rallings | 12 November 2024

Last year councils overspent more on children’s services than on any other area. Dominic Luscombe and Jonathan Rallings share the conclusions of a new report...

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Supporting the NHS's three big shifts

By Melanie Williams | 06 November 2024

Melanie Williams examines the role of social care in realising the Government’s ten year health plan

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

No magic prescription for performance

By Owen Mapley | 30 October 2024

Two weeks ago The MJ published the IMPOWER Index of top ten out-performing authorities, with York, Redbridge and Essex leading the list. The index measures c...

Popular articles by Jamie Hailstone