1. How many individual children were reported missing within your local authority?
75

2. How many total incidents were reported of children going missing within your local authority?
131

3. How many children were looked after by the local authority between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024?
193

4. How many individuals looked after children went missing?
18

5. How many incidents were reported of looked after children going missing?
75

6. How many return interviews were offered to children following a missing incident?
119

7. How many return interviews were completed following a missing incident?
62

8. How many of these return interviews were completed within 72 hours of the child returning from the missing episode?
46

9. Who provides return interviews to children following a missing incident in your area? Please select:
a) Social workers (this could be the child's social worker)
b) Dedicated team or individual within the local authority
c) Youth worker
d) An independent service commissioned by the local authority
e) Other
Please provide any detail possible about who is delivering return interviews in your area:
Social workers or Early Help Workers do this where a case is open to them
Where the child is not previously open to a Social Worker or Early Help worker, the return home interview is offered by the Prevention and Youth Justice Service (PYJS).

10. Do you provide or commission any follow-up support for children and young people following an RHI?
The allocated Social Worker or Early Help Worker would provide follow up support for children they are working with. Where the Return Home Interview is completed by PYJS, they will refer a child to the MASH should follow up support be indicated.

11. Please tell us more about your return interview service. Would you like to see any changes in national guidance? What are the barriers to effective provision? What is working well in your area?
Children’s Services are able to deliver return home interviews in a timely manner and these are completed by workers who know the children when applicable. This works well. Understandably, children who have been missing and require a Return Home Interview can sadly find it difficult to engage in a conversation about a missing period.