Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children who go Missing and cannot be Located

Research indicates that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are more likely than other young people to be reported missing. They are more likely to be missing longer than other young people and are particularly vulnerable if they do go missing, because of the lack of a UK network of family/friends.

In Doncaster we recognise the additional vulnerability of unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people and are committed to providing child/young person centred support to reduce the likelihood this will happen. We will work closely with other agencies to deliver coordinated support that puts the child/young person at the centre of all considerations.

Our experience is that the overwhelming majority of children and young people are eventually located. This policy only covers the very small number of young people who go missing in the long term and are not located.

[1] Good Practice Guidance: Supporting unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK and are at risk of going missing

The initial response to an unaccompanied asylum seeking child/young person going missing will be the same as for any other child/young person. We will work closely with colleagues from the Police and those who know the young person to locate them. When they return they will be offered a return interview and their care plan will be updated to reflect what we learn about the push/pull factors that underpinned the missing episode.

If the child is missing for 24 Hours, or less if they are particularly vulnerable, senior managers will be alerted visa the “Need to Know” briefing process. The briefing will set out the context in which the child has gone missing, what measures are put in place to what efforts have been made to locate them. A strategy meeting will be held with the Police to agree roles and responsibilities and share relevant information/intelligence. Senior managers will continue to be updated about the fact the child/young person is missing via the daily missing person alert. The Need to Know briefing will be updated weekly for the first 4 weeks.

A decision will be taken about when to end a child’s placement in the weekly placement panel. The point at which the placement will be closed will reflect the following

• Whether this was a long-term placement in which the child/young person has developed good relationships with carers;
• The current assessment of how likely it is that the child will return imminently.

Where a child has been missing for 4 weeks or longer an additional strategy meeting will be chaired by the Service Manager responsible for the child/young person. This meeting will ensure that the measures undertaken to try to locate the child/young person are robust and being progressed in a timely and with strategic oversight. The Service Manager will assure themselves that these actions are consistent with the national Police College guidance re missing migrant children, which is available here. The Service Manager will confirm that Police colleagues have been actively searching for the missing child and ensure that intelligence shared has informed the Doncaster’s risk assessment and decision-making process. This will include border alerts where needed.

Good Practice Guidance: Supporting unaccompanied children who arrive in the UK and are at risk of going missing

If the child/young person has not returned within 12 weeks the Service Manager will review the position and actions taken. The Service Manager will liaise with Police colleagues. If the feedback from them is that despite repeated attempts to engage the child and ensure their safety, they continue to remain missing care for a prolonged period, and there is evidence to suggest that they are actively avoiding contact with professionals that this will influence the decision They will consult with all relevant professionals, including the Independent Reviewing Officer, and after this make a recommendation about whether the child should be formally discharged from care. This recommendation will be discussed with the responsible Head of Service/Strategic Lead. If they agree then a Regulation 39 report will be drafted setting out the rationale for the child being discharged from care.

When the child has been discharged from care the case summary in Mosaic will be updated to set out what action will be taken should the child be subsequently located.