Latest changes – missing persons

The following question has been added to the Initial questions for the person who has submitted the missing report question set: 

Has any contact from the missing person’s phone and/or social media led you to believe that the handset and/or social media accounts are in the possession of someone else?” If ‘yes,’ please explain why.

Minor wording change. Welsh forces via the NPCC Lead on Missing Persons raised the need to change a statement about convening a multi-agency strategy meeting for a missing child. Current: Where appropriate, a multi-agency meeting is convened after a child has been missing from home or care for more than seven days, or has been missing on more than three occasions in a 12-month period (this criteria does not apply in England).

Amended: - Where appropriate, a multi-agency strategy meeting is convened to consider the evidence for any additional safeguarding issues.

At the end of the 'Interviews' section – Added link to NPCC (2023) 'Advice to police forces on prevention interviews and independent return interviews'.

Added final paragraphs about detailing information and intelligence, beginning 'When carrying out a risk assessment...', to the section 'Initial questions for the person who has submitted the missing person report'.

'Wanted/missing' section: Removed a sentence ('If a decision is taken to treat...') that is no longer applicable and moved APP on AWOL patients link down to a bullet point under 'For further information see:'. Under this two NPCC documents were added as references including links.

• Throughout the section where 'no apparent risk' (absent) was referred to this was replaced with the current 'very low risk'.
• 'The investigative process' section: added normally to initial sentence.
• 'Responsibilities' section: added 'consider arranging' in relation to TextSafe.
• 'Senior management team' section: Added a sentence about IOPC reports and included a link to this document.
• 'Family support' section: added ' in the early stages of an investigation' and a sentence at the end of this paragraph about protracted investigations.
• 'Search strategy' section: added 'consider seeking' regarding PoISA.
• 'Identification samples' section: table, dental charts removed text and corrected to current practice of hard copy and electronic copy retained by UKMPU.
• 'Management of return' section: added an example to the last bullet.
• 'Prevention interviews' section: added 'prevention' and deleted 'return', added telephone as an option.
• 'Timing of the prevention interview' section: deleted 'in person'.
• 'Frequency of checks' section: Added a sentence at the end about interviewer skills.
• 'Responsibility for independent return interviews' section: Changed the first paragraph, inserted 'independent' before return in the second.
• 'Not found' section: Added three sentences regarding IO's decisions for case remaining active and requiring review.
• 'Long-term cases' section: added 'normally'.

Amendments to page to bring content up-to-date.

• 'Definitions' section: added a paragraph about broadness of the definition; changed 'no apparent risk' to 'very low risk' and added sentences regarding framing of risk of harm; change to diagram to reflect very low risk.
• 'Risk assessment and response' section: change to very low risk; sentences added in high risk on serious crime.
• Missing persons process chart: added introductory sentence explaining purpose of the diagram; diagram changed to reflect wording of risk.
• 'Joint responsibility' section: minor wording change regarding care homes.
• 'Minimum actions' section: explanation added to first bullet about malicious reports; wording change to PNC bullet, minor.
• 'UK Missing persons unit' section: three added sentences.
• 'Services' section: added multiple bullets and deleted bullets.
• 'Referring cases' section: minor wording changes.
• 'Unidentified cases' section: Section with bullets on UKMPU assistance to forces added within this sub-section.
• 'Charities' section: contact info updated including links that required changing.

• 'Gathering information' section: changed a link to minimum actions section of the APP. 
• 'Gathering information and intelligence' section: added a bullet point to the end about suicide ideation or self-harm and added a link to the suicide prevention strategy.
• 'Assessing risk levels and taking action' section: added a line about unconscious bias.

• 'Young people and risky behaviour' section: 'no apparent risk' changed to 'very low'; swapped 'put' for 'find'; added 'be vulnerable specifically when:'; deleted 'engage in further risky behaviours, such as.'
• 'Child Rescue Alert' section: used sentence case for bullets; deleted sentence starting 'The CRA has been expanded...'
• 'Children remanded to local authority accommodation' section: last sentence, changed investigating officer to sentence case.
• 'Out of area placements' section: Added 'may also be' after There and before 'reasons why this is not...'
• 'Missing from hospital emergency departments' section: deleted the sentence commencing 'The police have a duty to...', the paragraph now starts 'The hospital...', deleted 'also' and added 'at their home address' within brackets.
• 'Found remains/people' section: added 'forces' to sentence starting 'where an unidentified body is found...' Removed the sentence 'The UKMPU has developed...' and its associated resources.
• 'BTP' section: Location and return of a missing person: 'or an' inserted in last paragraph.
• 'Migrant children' section: the word 'people' replaced with 'children' in the second sentence, also inserted 'normally'. Added a paragraph after the 2nd, regarding children care facility and age assessment.
• 'Missing persons at large events' section: word 'enable' added, last line before bullets.
• 'The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office' section: For further information see 'International Crime Coordination Centre...' - deleted this and the link to APP on international investigation, replaced with a paragraph on JICC.
• 'Identification process' section: added 'who is a SIM' after senior detective.

• 'Missing persons coordinator role' section: added text to reflect both adult and child care homes.
• 'Assisting investigations' section: added a link to the Coordinator to explain this from College source.
• 'Shared responsibilities' section: inserted words 'matters that are recorded as'.
• 'Multi-agency protocols' section: added new sentence with link to content, removing out of date link.
• 'Referrals to social care' section: Added paragraph; added new link to All Wales Practice Guide
• 'Vulnerable adults' section: removed two out of date links and added new content link to Home Office
• 'Trigger plans' section: removed reference to Philomena protocol
• 'Regulatory bodies' section: added 'or supported accommodation' to Ofsted regulatory duties to inspect.
• 'UKMPU returns' section: removed reference to Code of Practice and the out of date content about statistical bulletins. Added annually to the sharing of reports.
• 'Retention and weeding of reports' section: removed link on retention.

Replaced broken link to Code of Ethics

Link removed to UKMPB file 'Identification process – good practice: Procedural'.

References to MPB amended to UKMPU (UK Missing Persons Unit)

Sentence added to 'The police role and responsibilities' and 'categories' sections. Paragraph added to 'legal expectations'. Minor changes made to first sentence in 'positive action' section. LSCB changed to MASA. FCO changed to FCDO. Reference removed from 'truanting' section

More reference documents added, removed or updated. Bullet point added to police actions in relation to support for families section. MPB references changed to UKMPU and links updated. Sentence added to medium and low risk missing person subsection of timescales for collecting samples. Legal references added to media strategy section. NPCC lead reference added to  family initiated media campaigns section. Sentence added to confidentiality section and interviews section. Paragraph added to prevention interviews section.

Contact details for UKMPU (formerly MPB) updated and a sentence added about when to consult mental health services added to end of 'minimum actions' section

General updates: reference to Philomena Protocol, references updated, removed or added, CRA updated, contact details updated (UKMPU, FCDO), police duty of care updated (section 'missing from hospital emergency departments'), SISII section removed.

Organisational names updated (for example, LSCB becomes MASA, IPCC becomes IOPC). References made to Philomena Protocol. Reference documents also added or replaced.

Minor changes made (link to College Learn, new bullet point added to initial questions list, 'mental health' added to sentence in' gathering information and intelligence' section, reference to vulnerability-related risks guidelines and sentence added to 'assessing risk levels and taking action' section)

07/02/2023 Links added to Voice of the child documents in the section on Missing children

Replaced broken link for the NPCC missing persons tasking and transfer request form, under 'Ownership and responsibility for cases'.

Missing Persons Bureau updated to UK Missing Persons Unit across all modules

'Missing Persons Bureau' reference updated to 'UK Missing Persons Unit' across all modules.

Wording in section on notifying the British transport police of suicidal missing persons amended.

Family liaison - ACPO (2008) manual removed and replaced with link to Working with Victims and Witnesses.

Link replaced in further information box within Migrant children.

Within the Foreign and Commonwealth section, link added to International investigation.

Note added to direct reader to updated APP on international investigations in line with the UK leaving the European Union.

Note added to direct reader to updated APP on International investigations in line with the UK leaving the European Union.

New Child Rescue Alert guidance added.

New Child Rescue Alert guidance added.

New advice on safeguarding children through the use of Child Abduction Warning Notices.

Updated version of Parental Child Aduction guidance.

Working together link updated to 2018 version.

CPS links updated.

Change to wording of ownership and transfer.

Amended wording to prevention interviews.

New APP.

Addition of link to letter explaining revised definition of "absent".