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Good afternoon,

I am posting to let list members know about new work concerning research into issues related to missing persons in the UK and to offer the chance to make a contribution.

Background

A Research Sub-Group has been convened by the charity Missing People ( http://www.missingpeople.org.uk/ ) on the request of the ACPO-led Strategic Oversight Group (SOG) on Missing Persons.  The SOG has been tasked with overseeing the implementation of the recommendations laid out in the report of the Missing Persons Taskforce: A report with recommendations for improving the multi-agency response to missing incidents (2010) . (http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Missing_Persons_Taskforce_Final_.pdf)

The purpose of the Research Sub-Group is to work towards the presentation of a UK Research Agenda on Missing to interested parties, including current and potential researchers in academia, public and voluntary sectors.  We intend to present the findings of this preliminary scoping work to the third national Missing Persons Conference in November.

Aims

The Research Sub-Group aims: 

- to compile a contextualised list of topics for research about missing, and to identify gaps in knowledge;
- to place a priority order on identified research problems and required solutions;
- to make this available as a UK Research Agenda on Missing and;
- to promote this to potential commissioners, funders and researchers. 

We also aim to provide a knowledge management hub to keep up to date with previous, current and upcoming research projects, thus reducing duplication and supporting collaboration and dissemination of findings.

The Research Sub-Group is keen to involve researchers and other interested groups from a variety of sectors, institutions and representing a diverse selection of disciplines.  

Getting involved

We would like to ask if you would like to contribute thoughts and ideas to the development of the UK Research Agenda.  In particular we would be keen to hear your ideas on topics that should be prioritised for new research (perhaps as missing relates to your own area of work), and about any new research on missing that you know to be imminent or underway.  

In the first instance we would be grateful if you could direct any questions or comments to Lucy Holmes, at [log in to unmask] or on 020 8392 4591, who will collate responses and share them with the group. We would appreciate it if you could provide us with your thoughts before Monday 2nd August.

Many thanks,

Lucy Holmes, Research Manager, Missing People

Geoff Newiss, Director of Policy and Research, Missing People (chair)

Dr Llian Alys, Policy and Research Officer, Missing Persons Bureau, National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA: http://www.npia.police.uk/missingpersons )

Dr Zoe Hilton, Head of Safeguarding and Child Protection, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP: http://www.ceop.gov.uk/)