Reporting away from care episodes
All missing from care episodes, unauthorised absences and return from missing/unauthorised absences must be reported online - we do not accept these reports over the phone, via MARF or email.
If a young person has a continued episode of missing or unauthorised absence, you must complete the form for each nightly absence. This is to record attempts made to contact the young person and provide any relevant updates.
If a child is at immediate risk of harm and an urgent response is required, contact the police on 0151 709 6010. Dial 999 in an emergency or where there is any indication a criminal act has occurred.
Before you start
We do not accept authorised absence reports
Authorised absences are agreed by the allocated social worker, therefore no further checks are required and CASS does not need to be notified.
We do not accept missing episodes or unauthorised absences for children who are placed/funded by another authority
The missing process states that placements must inform the relevant authority who has responsibility for the young person, therefore staff will need to report directly to the authority that funds the placement.
If we receive police reports for children from another local authority, we will continue to log these in case any support or action is required.
You must provide police log numbers for missing episodes
We require police log numbers regardless of whether police open a missing episode or log for information only. Please ensure you make a police report and ask for the log number for that call before completing this form.
Report an away from care episode (Professionals)
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