Every missing episode should be treated as a safeguarding incident, not simply an absence. While finding and returning a child safely is always the immediate priority, effective practice goes much further than this. The Department for Education’s Statutory Guidance on Children Who Run Away or Go Missing from Home or Care is clear that professionals should focus on preventing children from going missing wherever possible, responding effectively when they do, and learning from every incident to reduce future risk.

For providers this means having robust systems, confident staff and a culture of reflective practice. It is also an area that Ofsted increasingly explores during inspections, looking not only at how providers respond to missing episodes but also at how they work proactively to reduce them.

Prevention Starts Before a Child Goes Missing

Every child should have an individualised missing-from-care risk assessment that reflects their experiences, vulnerabilities and known risks. This should consider factors such as previous missing episodes, exploitation risks, criminal or sexual exploitation, online activity, mental health, self-harm, substance misuse, family relationships and peer influences.

However, risk assessments alone are not enough. The statutory guidance highlights the importance of developing positive, trusting relationships with children and young people, understanding the reasons behind their behaviour, recognising early warning signs and involving them in planning strategies that may reduce the likelihood of future missing episodes.

Providers should regularly review risk assessments, placement plans and support strategies as children’s circumstances change, ensuring staff remain aware of current risks and protective factors.

The Growing Importance of the Philomena Protocol

Alongside the statutory guidance, many police forces across England have now adopted the Philomena Protocol as part of their approach to missing children.

Although it is not a statutory requirement, the protocol has become recognised as good practice because it enables providers to supply police with vital information immediately when a child goes missing.

The protocol involves completing a detailed profile before any incident occurs, including information such as:

• Recent photographs.
• Places the child is known to visit.
• Friends, associates and significant adults.
• Favourite locations.
• Communication methods and social media.
• Medical information.
• Known triggers.
• Risks of exploitation or harm.
• Strategies that have previously helped locate or engage the child.

Having this information readily available allows police officers to focus their efforts on locating and safeguarding the child rather than spending valuable time gathering background information after the report has been made.

Many organisations are now embedding the Philomena Protocol into their missing-from-care procedures as part of a wider preventative approach.

Responding Effectively During a Missing Episode

When a child is reported missing, partnership working becomes essential.

Children Social Care providers, local authorities and the police all have distinct responsibilities, and effective safeguarding relies upon timely information sharing, dynamic risk assessment and clear communication throughout the incident.

Providers should continue making reasonable enquiries, maintain accurate records, update risk assessments as new information becomes available and work collaboratively with partner agencies until the child has been safely located.

A well-managed response should always remain proportionate to the level of risk while ensuring that the child’s welfare remains the primary consideration.

The Learning Begins When the Child Returns

A child’s return should never mark the end of the safeguarding response.

The statutory guidance requires every child to be offered an independent return interview, ideally within 72 hours of their return. These interviews provide an important opportunity to understand why the child went missing, identify any harm they may have experienced and explore what support may help prevent future episodes.

Providers should also use every missing episode as a learning opportunity by reviewing:

• Whether risk assessments remain appropriate.
• Whether placement plans need updating.
• Any new or emerging safeguarding concerns.
• Whether additional multi-agency support is required.
• What worked well during the response.
• What could be improved in future.

This cycle of prevention, response, reflection and continuous improvement is increasingly reflected in Ofsted’s expectations of high-quality care.

Develop Your Team’s Confidence

Managing missing-from-care incidents requires far more than knowing when to contact the police. Staff need to understand why children go missing, how to identify escalating risks, how to work effectively with partner agencies and how to use each incident to improve future safeguarding practice.

To support providers, Social Care Skills delivers the live online course Missing from Care: Prevention, Response & Safe Return.

This practical, inspection-focused session explores:

• Understanding why children go missing.
• Push and pull factors influencing missing behaviour.
• Prevention strategies and relationship-based practice.
• Individualised risk assessments.
• Contextual safeguarding and exploitation.
• Effective responses during missing episodes.
• Multi-agency working and information sharing.
• The Philomena Protocol and its role in supporting police responses.
• Independent return interviews and post-incident learning.
• Recording expectations and Ofsted inspection considerations.

Designed for professionals working in children’s homes, supported accommodation, fostering services and leaving care services, the course combines statutory guidance with practical examples, reflective discussion and tools that participants can immediately apply within their own services.

📅 Next Live Online Course: 6 August 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
💻 Delivered live via Microsoft Teams

Whether you’re preparing for inspection, reviewing your missing-from-care procedures or simply looking to strengthen frontline practice, this session provides practical knowledge that helps improve safeguarding outcomes for children and young people.

At Social Care Skills, our aim is simple: to help providers move beyond compliance and build confident, evidence-based practice that keeps children safer.