Policy paper

Report from the joint inquiry into children who go missing from care

This report makes a number of recommendations about how to significantly improve the care and support given to vulnerable children in care.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

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Going missing is a important indicator that a child might be in great danger. When children go missing, they are at very serious risk of physical abuse, sexual exploitation and sometimes so desperate they will rob or steal to survive.

The all-party parliamentary group for runaway and missing children and adults initiated a parliamentary Inquiry to examine this issue in more detail and give it the attention it desperately needs.

They took evidence from children who have run away, ministers, national agencies such as the child exploitation and online protection centre (CEOP) and Ofsted, as well as the voluntary sector, police forces and local authorities. All spoke about the need for urgent change.

This report outlines the findings of the Inquiry, and based on the evidence received, makes a number of recommendations to government, Ofsted, local authorities and the police about how to significantly improve the care and support given to vulnerable children in care to help reduce instances of children in care running away or going missing and to protect them if they do.

Updates to this page

Published 15 June 2012

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