The report of the Deputy Director (Children’s Social Care) (Document “Z”) highlights the work being undertaken in Bradford to prevent children being missing from care the actions taken to protect young people when they do go missing and the provision that is in place to meet their needs.

Recommended -

(1)          That the work being undertaken to safeguard looked after children who go missing in Bradford be endorsed.

(2)          That the Multi-Agency Strategy to safeguard children who go missing be supported and reported to elected members on a yearly basis.

(David Byrom - 01274 437077)

The report of the Deputy Director (Children’s Social Care) (Document “Z”) highlighted the work undertaken in Bradford to prevent children being missing from care, the actions taken to protect young people when they do went missing and the provision that was in place to meet their needs.

Responses were given to member questions by officers and a representative of West Yorkshire Police as follows:

·         The voiceability contract was to be reviewed and officers were looking to strengthen it’s delivery and reconfigure the contract.  The return to home interview was to be strengthened.   When the contract was re commissioned members would be advised of the changes.

·         Children that were at risk were reported as “missing”, if there was no risk they were reported as “absent”.

·         Information on gender, ethnicity, length of time missing and geographic hot spots could be made available to members at as later date.

·         Although West Yorkshire Police had a standard approach, each district reported missing events differently and because of historic issues in Bradford, as soon a child was unaccounted for this was reported.  This was regarded as the best approach in terms of safeguarding children although it did result in a higher number of missing events in Bradford than neighbouring West Yorkshire authorities.

·         All missing children were treated the same whether they were in care or not and work was being undertaken in the hub on how to stop reoccurrences of  children going missing. 

·         There was a reporting strategy for every looked after child. 

·         More secure options had been explored for children who repeatedly go missing but this was not done as part of the strategy.

·         Episodes of going missing did increase is late teens.  There had been issues with leaving care hostels which were not as secure as children’s homes out of hours and options were being investigated to address this.

·         When a call was received and logged the call handlers were trained to undertake a risk assessment and the call was referred to the hub.  At that point a decision was taken to either agree with the risk assessment or downgrade it.  If the risk assessment was agreed a plan was put into action within 15 minutes.  Information was gathered and the risk re-assesed at every stage. 

·         The top 5 children who go missing was a reasonably static group and could be risk assessed quickly.

·         The same procedure had to be followed for children in foster placements as those in a children’s home.  Foster carers received multi agency training and undertook e-learning. 

·         In the case of Bradford children placed outside the district it was confirmed that the outside authority would follow the statutory guidance and the child would be monitored by the Bradford missing co-ordinator.

·         The missing policy was the same for adults as children, including people between the ages of 18 and  25 and a problem solving plan and safeguarding to reduce incidents of missing would be put in place.

·         If there was an immediate risk to a child, care staff would follow them while in contact with the police by phone.   The police could be “hands on” in returning them to their home.

It was noted that when a child was reported missing to the police, they would risk asses this and rate their vulnerability as high, medium or low by using the National Decision Making Model.

 The Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder stressed that children who were in care were vulnerable and that only a small percentage were likely to go missing.  She was pleased that Bradford was taking a proactive approach in protecting children but recognised that this did get misrepresented.

The West Yorkshire Police Central Safeguarding Governance Unit had praised Bradford’s approach to missing children and was looking to share this with other West Yorkshire authorities.

The Chair thanked officers and the police for their responses from which he took confidence in the approach being adopted in Bradford regarding missing children.

Resolved -

(1)          That the work being undertaken to safeguard looked after children who go missing in Bradford be endorsed.

(2)          That the Multi-Agency Strategy to safeguard children who go missing be supported and reported to elected members on a yearly basis.

(3)          That the evidence of strong partnership working be welcomed.

ACTION:        Deputy Director (Children’s Social Care)

(David Byrom - 01274 437077)