Missing Children

There is a clear link between missing children/young people and increased risk of sexual and criminal exploitation. Workers must be alert to potential signs of sexual and criminal exploitation. The definitions below are from Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Child sexual abuse (CSA)

Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing, and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Child sexual exploitation (CSE)

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

Child criminal exploitation (CCE)

As set out in the Serious Violence Strategy, published by the Home Office, where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into any criminal activity (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator and/or (c) through violence or the threat of violence. The victim may have been criminally exploited even if the activity appears consensual. Child criminal exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur through the use of technology.

County Lines

As set out in the Serious Violence Strategy, published by the Home Office, a term used to describe gangs and organised criminal networks involved in exporting illegal drugs into one or more importing areas within the UK, using dedicated mobile phone lines or other form of ‘deal line’. They are likely to exploit children and vulnerable adults to move and store the drugs and money, and they will often use coercion, intimidation, violence (including sexual violence) and weapons. The government has published County Lines Guidance for frontline staff who work with children, young people, and potentially vulnerable adults.

Further information on County Lines is covered in the Safeguarding Mandatory Training course and can be accessed as e-learning on Fostering Training.

A Child should be reported to Sussex Police if they are missing by calling 101.

If there are concerns as the child/young person’s immediate safety, it is always appropriate to report the matter to Sussex Police immediately using 999.

Following this, foster carers need to contact the Child’s Social Worker and their Supervising Social Worker, or if out of hours, the Emergency Duty Service on 01273335905 or 01273335906 or the Fostering Advice Line on 01323 464117.

The police will send their missing report or missing notification to the allocated Social Worker and their Practice Manager on the same working day as the information is received as a minimum expectation.

It is important that everyone is keeping all relevant people informed to ensure that the team can work together to ensure the child is safeguarded.

MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) teams hold regular weekly Missing Meetings throughout the week. These meetings consider and review all children who have been missing since the last meeting. This includes other East Sussex County Council children placed in East Sussex over the past 7 days. The meeting provides a safety net to ensure all risks to children who have gone missing have been picked up, assessed and appropriate safeguarding procedures have been followed.

At the meeting there will be explicit reference to the Power BI dashboard produced by Sussex Police. This provides a list of the children who have been most frequently recorded as missing in the past week and month. The Police use a rag rated system for those considered most at risk. Any child who appears on these lists should always be offered a Return Home Interview (RHI) irrespective of the circumstances of that missing episode.

The allocated Social Worker and Practice Manager will continue reviewing and discussing cases involving missing incidents in collaboration with the police until the child is found or returns. However, if the child is missing for more than 24 hours, the Practice Manager will inform the following people:

• Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO);
• Assistant Director if the child is looked after;
• Head of Service;
• Operations Manager.

The Practice Manager will:

• Take the lead in coordinating an immediate safety plan with the Missing and Exploitation Police Team;
• Discuss the need for a potential s47 Strategy Meeting with the MASH Police Detective Sargent to agree further action to locate or see the child;
• Prepare a plan for when the child is returned;
• The Assistant Director must notify corporate parenting members, elected members for Children’s Services, if a looked after child has been missing for 24 hours.

All cases will be considered for a Strategy Discussion from Day 1 of the missing incident and every day they are known to be missing from that point.

A Strategy Discussion must be called to which the Police are invited for Looked After Children who have been missing for more than 24 hours. The Strategy Discussion should take place within 72 hours for low and medium risk cases and within 24 hours for high risk cases.

• A judgement needs to be made regarding the timing in relation to attendance by key professionals;
• If the circumstances relating to a child/young person are particularly concerning, then an immediate Strategy Discussion should be convened;
• If the child/young person is found before the Strategy Meeting takes place, consideration must be given to the Strategy Meeting going ahead. This is so the circumstances relating to the child/young person’s missing episode can still be discussed.

The Strategy Discussion needs to consider the following:

• Information relating to potential risk/harm;
• Is the child at risk of child sexual and or criminal exploitation? If so a referral to the Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) Operational meeting should be actively considered using the relevant MACE Hub referral form. See MACE Operational Instructions;
• At what stage publicity will be sought? This needs to be agreed by Head of Service;
• Information relating to possible locations where the child may be;
• What contact has there been with child/young person?
• A clear strategy for finding the child/young person;
• Any additional specific information which should be passed to other professionals.

All Strategy Discussions must have minutes recorded and agreed actions emailed to participants within 24 hours. The situation must be kept under review considering the level of risk. If the child is not found a Review Strategy Discussion must be arranged.

The RHI should be offered to the child by the allocated Social Worker or another trusted adult. If the allocated Social Worker is unable to complete the RHI within the required 72 hours, then the allocated Social Worker or Practice Manager can request that the RHI be completed by a MASH Caseworker. This may be because of a Social Worker’s annual leave or competing priorities.

When children decline the offer of an RHI, consideration should be given to requesting a joint RHI by the Social Worker and the Police Missing and Exploitation Team Officer. When the risk is judged to be high a joint RHI should be considered even when the child has not given consent.

It should be noted that most UASC arrive in the UK with no known contacts and no social history. This therefore limits the amount of information available to inform searches beyond the action plan agreed at the initial strategy meeting. Many UASC young people will be missing from care for months.

It is important that Social Workers keep in regular contact with Police and other professionals to monitor the progress of the missing investigation. A Review Strategy Meeting should be held monthly for the first 6 months.

If there are concerns that the investigation relating to the missing young person is not progressing, it may be necessary for legal advice to be sought and there is a procedure in place for Children’s Services to do this.