Overview

The Missing Children course is essential for anyone working with children and young people. It illustrates what needs to be done when a child goes missing or becomes absent from care, how to assess their risk, what to do once they are found or return independently, and how to prevent future such cases occurring.

Objectives

• Work in ways to prevent children going missing wherever possible, having a new understanding of the main reasons why a child might go missing or routinely become absent from care
• Write effective placement plans when care planning and review these appropriately
• Establish a child’s level of risk when they go missing, understanding the factors for both medium and high risk
• Follow the correct procedures when a child goes missing, including notifying the police with the correct information and knowing when to inform the media
• Follow the correct procedures when a child is found or returns themselves, including carrying out safe and well checks and independent reviews
• Put child protection into place once a child returns independently or is found

Audience

This course is for local authorities, anyone working with children, young people and families, Children’s Social Care, social workers in children’s services, child protection, education, police..