Latest changes – strategic responsibilities

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.

• '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• 'Multi-agency protocols' section: added new sentence with link to content, removing out of date link.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• 'Vulnerable adults' section: removed two out of date links and added new content link to Home Office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• 'UKMPU returns' section: removed reference to Code of Practice and the out of date content about statistical bulletins.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.

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

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

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

Working together link updated to 2018 version.

CPS links updated.