The government has announced new rules for when children go missing from home or care.
Unveiled by the Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson – the new rules will see all children, who return, receive an independent interview organised by their local authority.
Only once this interview has taken place will agencies find our why they ran away and help prevent it happening again.
“For too long support for children who have gone missing has been patchy,” said the Minister. “Our new rules mean that every child will now have the chance to talk to a sympathetic, independent person.
“Only then will we find out why they ran away and if they came to harm, and help to make sure they don’t run away again.
“Councils must now rise to the challenge. Within the next 6 months I expect all to have made dramatic improvements to the support they provide missing children, and for all to offer return interviews to every child that have been missing from home or care.”
The new rules have been developed in conjunction with the Children’s Society and published as part of the government’s revised statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care.
Today’s announcement is one of a series of reforms that the government has introduced to improve safety in children’s residential care.
