Children Missing from Care

HL Deb 21 March 2002 vol 632 cc175-6WA

Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many children in the care of West Sussex Social Services have gone missing since 1965; whether any have been traced; whether other social service departments have lost children in recent years; and whether they will ask the Social Services Inspectorate to report, with a view to publishing their findings. [HL3233]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

From April 2001 all local authorities in England have been required to include data about the numbers of children in their care who go missing for 24 hours or more in their annual statistical return to the Department of Health. Prior to 2001, councils had to return data on numbers of children who were missing for more than seven days. Data concerning this issue were not available in 1965.

West Sussex Council has provided the following information to the department about young people in its care who have gone missing without trace since 1995. These were predominantly asylum-seeking young women from West Africa. In 1995 one person went missing; this figure was two in 1996; seven in 1997; 11 in 1998; 23 in 1999 and 21 in 2000. By 2001, the council had developed procedures to identify and support young people from abroad who were particularly vulnerable; by January 2002 six had gone missing. While other young people in the council's care do go missing temporarily from their placements, it would be extremely rare for a young person to go missing without trace.

Research about young runaways sponsored by the department and by voluntary organisations, suggests that looked after children missing from residential or foster care are more likely to run away than those living at home. The majority of these young people are found within 48 hours. According to the Department of Health's statistical return of the young people missing from their care placements during the course of 1999–2000 approximately 140 were absent for over six months.

The Department of Health is working closely with the Social Exclusion Unit and is preparing guidance for local authorities, the police, health agencies and the voluntary sector concerning good practice and procedures on children missing from care.