For information

Paul



Paul Bywaters

Professor of Social Work,

Child and Family Research,

CTEHR, Richard Crossman Building,

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,

Coventry University,

Priory Street, Coventry CV1 5FB

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To join the Child Welfare Inequalities Network go to www.jiscmail.ac.uk and search for ChildWelfareInequalities or email me directly.







________________________________________

From: Public Policy Exchange <[log in to unmask]>

Sent: 08 August 2017 03:20

To: Paul Bywaters

Subject: Young Runaways and Missing Children: Enhancing Prevention, Protection and Provision in Every Local Area



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Young Runaways and Missing Children:

Enhancing Prevention, Protection and Provision in Every Local Area

Strand Palace Hotel

Tuesday 19th September 2017



Iryna Pona

Policy Manager

The Children's Society



Victoria Cousins

Senior Programme and Business Development Manager

Safer London



Jonathan Stanley

CEO

Independent Children's Homes Association



Josie Allan

Policy & Campaigns Manager

Missing People



Andrea Simon

Campaigns and Policy Officer

ECPAT UK



Keith Shipman

Education Inclusion Manager

London Borough of Merton



Dr Karen Shalev-Greene

Director of the Centre for the Study of Missing People

University of Portsmouth



Detective Inspector Jon Capps

Thames Valley Police

Oxfordshire MASH and Kingfisher (CSE) Team



Dan Ruaux

Service Manager – Oxfordshire CEF

Strategic Lead for Missing Children



Event Details<https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1dewLz-0000Si-5k&i=57e1b682&c=3pB3MhgStCNU0S1RkxQbysye8z-Y9HRr6QXFP4EbmTjT0DNkMk8F1raVIfIW9lFR35K7EdOaMD_H4UAPBbyqpUN0NZhVzHSWkTwbPMvrZ9kkPZMBLeEz08o7WLZ8S0ErIIgCNzNKhpah4oXwsK9YHMDXf6n7n07t_VEuqC4HMsf1SWTpVx1XE5u7S1Vynnw54aUPC-afAEi_VK-lZZxEI7yPvAQBrFlA25Q_dLMYPzXUieeRA3c5zP97f2TPk4v-IaoPGa8fOPt72YClQaQ7iXWI2kExdgZFz1BbxolYMR-ZSrZD6grvXCU7tKgYD-P9RmfQqZKMq2-urFlE-o_gd8SsvUTyBQCDn9E3P0qp9fIreFdyAJJ942VCo4TRuEpDQ63mKOBzbZDCCw2iPApmDxiO3Bm3L_LWIvpiHPU9-F03y7Dmn06iqACPYmDqDHs9afzvfNbr6PyP-VTmihbkVg>  Website<https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1dewLz-0000Si-5k&i=57e1b682&c=Ny-s3BQvc3Z63ZDCoRtlQbAaH4SIELdLZYr6lFFB75zTiCrxmqk36MgchsyZm3oenuzHm1rfa-5wKzdom8QY0N8iIobb-H5OymrNqeTU7YshyoH9FkRlN51VcUNfXvuQwUsvvXuMuVs0pl4Ndq8tcL5Zr_nj5cnKRlIx0yj2weIOiULC_x6d_YSLRsYHqbkIQYp-HXJ_9CR7cYvaPLnqUF491xbFe3X8z_AhoRCeD4KR0phBr_rivuSOAYYGltFRRXMh9peAfEgozAnJwEueLCeVAnGKnw2LUhEZYMcRVHvl3iNewd6JV-7kj_dRVy7ihzm6NOSR2V2cUBj_OxIkdekL4ToIpKO_6QchCzMcu14GaC-Q-XovBe_K_SX5itvlx4OYh0FI1ymHlfnYAlL9Wf-Q4IrmDesEe_mIrH0Ha1g02TH63KP_yVcLGA6Gfuhf>  Register to Attend<https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1dewLz-0000Si-5k&i=57e1b682&c=MWLfKB2GeHjhh8Hf0Hw_VgdkDb4eDjDGSCDX2dPjJUyBXgvSWzOVtW2SHHu2BMB3V0srWwtwq8HaXh2ryrdLK0ryqvEegWZ0Vqpwt-hP23GBpzrtFNq6SB0jgG0OrshA8zQESzj15QckJb0n6Sb59ewsfFhscGSOFCj1FSIbaFKUQLCToYyY-TjRfukuwLcOTLv-vFnfQj10PbmLq6GF1ahW8dI63yYRTCPX8yXtNjtYmL_0t0WAw-7OVczYuU3EDFfPxqFXRqp8C54iLqqBpDkBD97NkPlyBPCL-Q2B9iTJuq3JF4CNsnHdenV997kSyxl3pTa9-aABErzTaSWaxoWhyY5uFrexs7Ht4aGqrcgtQEx5bwAPNCrOdIezN2Za4zPrb3k8KF5aIiyHGjH_CZknItOR3apRwkdY1OKxv0DTzIPlZxKH_tSn0gjHu7cV19C_6ltStJKnSqLBvYniWzuq4knkMIkruaS85qejFGb7CxwKIqAWP9putULpK1O2>



According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), there were a total of 60,657 individual children recorded as having been missing on police data systems in England and Wales in 2014/15. However, the number of children whose whereabouts is unknown is likely to be significantly higher. Not only are the ‘majority of children who run away not reported to the police’ (Rees & Lee, 2005), but police forces moreover have tiered definitions of ‘missing’ and ‘absent’ enabling responses proportionate to the perceived risks faced by those reported missing. At least, 9,780 children were categorised as absent in 2014/15 (APPG for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults, 2016), whilst the charity Railway Children estimate that 100,000 children run away from home every year in the UK, 30% aged 12 or younger. The vulnerability of these young people to violence, child sexual exploitation (CSE) and crime is severe, with Barnardos projects focused on young people who run away reporting that between 11-12.5% have been sexual exploited (2013).





In recent years there has been a concerted pan-agency effort to minimise the number of missing children and reduce the risks they face.  The watershed, ‘Statutory Guidance on those who run away or go missing from home or care’ (2014), has been subsequently reinforced by, Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance (2015), statutory guidance for local authorities on ‘Children Missing Education’ (2016) and Ofsted guidance on inspecting local authority responses to ‘Child sexual exploitation and children missing from home, care or education’ (2016). Last year, the efficacy of individual and multi-agency strategies for young runaways and missing children was scrutinised by the APPG ‘It’s Good When Someone Cares’ inquiry, in addition to HMIC’s ‘Missing Children, Who Cares?’ report.





These publications evidence unequivocal inconsistencies across all aspects of the approach to missing children, and the need for continued improvements in safeguarding young people from serious harm. The HMIC report details a lack of multi-agency planning for frequently missing children in care, whilst police forces are scrutinised for underestimating the risks that missing or absent children face. These concerns are echoed in the APPG inquiry, which condemns the lack of consistency in risk assessments and data collection for absent children across UK. Indeed, out of 37 police forces that implemented this separate category, only 6 could share information on how many cases had been upgraded from ‘absent’ to ‘missing’.





In view of these challenges, this symposium will offer lead members for children’s services, police forces, housing providers, third sector representatives, health, social care and education professionals with a timely and invaluable opportunity to strengthen strategies for reducing the number of runaway and missing children, minimising the risk of harm, and providing children and families with adequate guidance and support. It will also provide police forces and local authorities with a platform to share best practice on risk assessment and ongoing safeguarding work.





Delegates Will:



  *   Engage with existing efforts to promote continuous improvement in services for children who runaway or go missing from home, care or education

  *   Consider how schools and local authorities can ensure there are effective tracking, enquiry and referral systems in place for children who are missing education

  *   Assess how to drive operational and cultural change that improve the confidence of families and children in the police as a source of help and protection

  *   Learn how local authorities are partnering with police to conduct effect return interviews which minimise repeat episodes

  *   Scrutinise whether the ‘absent children’ category should be scrapped, and how children can receive a proportionate response based on the risks they face

  *   Discuss how to make positive interventions in cases where children repeatedly run away or go missing from home or care

  *   Explore the importance of providing suitable, risk assessed emergency accommodation that meets the full range of a child’s needs

  *   Identify how local authorities can work effectively with other agencies to investigate and respond to the circumstances underpinning children going missing

  *   Share best practice of ensuring a tailored, multi-agency, risk based response to cases of missing and runaway children

  *   Develop understanding of the underlying causes of children going missing and how these can be linked to CSE, other forms of exploitation and criminality



I am pleased to advise you that we offer a 20% early registration discount off the standard delegate rates (subject to type of organisation and terms and conditions) for bookings received by the 11th August 2017. For further details about the symposium, please refer to the enclosed event brochure. Do feel free to circulate this information to relevant colleagues within your organisation.



In the meantime, to ensure your organisation is represented, please book online<https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1dewLz-0000Si-5k&i=57e1b682&c=ngFuUZJE9rU9i6r2DoZIqCrph_Z7oV_0YWrA9OmmM9U1QuoPRrEHpIttFLuXG6T27-BOOJvA_1l_K3jJ3HJ9dqam-d78fyYOzQA-QlZ7BOJNR-bHuCU9IGp-cmSz18CDBfRWn7i4pK11M3dsDHPFO1vtP4l0-Ik15CV-DYFOjh1MC-51WEFom78waLaUhOQyqkfZ801013WJ0wW-xFS4uxb_3Goj-BsjweNqjRjyrO-SVdUXWNRA-ig05FbHgSqQIB8cFwAtMkYnRbUTzOaY9zmzuIDg0oyN3Q5OMSggvDEa9dH7-l4-RLFhv5gCiwUXvmV1B_cAUz0mOgG7jUtF4ri14uPwXBxu5VG4BqsV0xafPTQALIvZe-lThS24OuJFQflb9TYQbS6Gh6sdXhLWt7b0EjH-TR5ltWJKAuJeOKl5g-psSkf7eh6AArHREU12YmufTD8xvu6IgwyeBBx8tQ> or complete and return the attached registration form at your earliest convenience in order to secure your delegate place(s).



Kind regards,



Conference Team

Public Policy Exchange

Tel: 020 3137 8630

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If you do not wish to receive further information regarding PPE events then click here<https://url6.mailanyone.net/v1/?m=1dewLz-0000Si-5k&i=57e1b682&c=m7PBvYQvVbqy9DEuT8znvQkZJDNukjt-ru8qXtO2IqyS001nsrnX9KRvek6fujQMB5E2i0aDFFqV6nxFotOtCvoijnM3kS3R2g9SI5SnQDgTYVZ7qTkFBXzA0EOveXq6zQPi7oBb20-yHOujkh3-rS2N-QSUmg7LJRT1GKcGdGmQgnJpZy_5KDlW4jyp_i__ibMh6-BFcVTbLVaxxqobkkN8guNpKvJYdKj_9LeuVQE532bb5kuoq9oMzwFyfNPArV6x8TeRlLYzs1UbWBZjyruG0ux3WvhvaKL-9buqkLPKTE6m_qEzPPaYVrqogC_Dy1r-PpVdjIknXkc1ZStt5wPamXZ5Q5Q6kQ7CQtdtH4zUu0qN2CAVIIx38bIIvSWTuoEzSxR3HAhZhygW7tLdgiYeE5Y_5TbHlhZPUWKob1watqFZJw_XOaj68cEchkIBZR9Px7eYQ82OdOa0VTp3Sv6HPHBb5E-BMZj_IfGZtNm3N1okg1qtiFSLyqgRfgQ-D7d6z9FCkLTENZlnnLIdCQ>.

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