Inquiry into children who go missing or run away from care

Date: 04 April 2012

Your help is needed

The All-Party Group (APPG) for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults and the APPG for Looked after Children and Care Leavers are launching an inquiry into the care and support provided for the thousands of children who run away or go missing from care every year.

The aims of the Inquiry are to develop a clear set of practical recommendations for policy-makers nationally and locally, to improve the help and support provided to children who run away or go missing from care. 

The broad theme of the Inquiry is the safeguarding of children in care who runaway or go missing, and it will look at:

Looked-after children who are placed away from their home local authority.

Data collection and information sharing.

Police responses, including the current ACPO pilots to reduce bureaucracy relating to missing children. 

Ofsted’s role to safeguard children in care who run away and how care placements are assessed.

Safeguarding trafficked children who go missing from care.

The inquiry’s report will also share examples of best practice across the sector.

Written evidence

The APPGs are keen to receive written submissions from organisations working with children in care or children who runaway or go missing including voluntary organisations, local authorities children’s services, the police and fostering organisations.

The APPGs are particularly keen to receive evidence from children and young people with experience of being in care and running away or going missing. The deadline for submitting written evidence is 23 April 2012.

For more information and full details please use 'Related links' on the right hand side of this page.

If you are one of the above and need help with this please contact:

Toby Wilson
Children in Care Council
toby.wilson@westsussex.gov.uk
07850 251372