We are requesting date for the period between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024.
1. How many individual children were reported missing within your local authority?
742
This data and the information provided in response to all subsequent questions was accurate as of the 29th November 2024
2. How many total incidents were reported of children going missing within your local authority?
2089
3. How many children were looked after by the local authority between 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024?
1217
4. How many individual looked after children went missing?
121 Devon children and 29 Other Local Authority (OLA) children
5. How many incidents were reported of looked after children going missing?
553 Devon children and 113 OLA children
6. How many return interviews were offered to children following a missing incident?
1664. Devon would not offer RHC’s to OLA children. This responsibility sits with the placing LA
7. How many return interviews were completed following a missing incident?
1471. within noting 1 x RHC may have covered multiple missing episodes for a young person
8. How many of these return interviews were completed within 72 hours of the child returning from the missing episode?
484
9. Who provides return interviews to children following a missing incident in your area?
Please select:
ð Social workers – yes
ð Dedicated team or individual within the local authority – yes
Please provide any detail possible about who is delivering return interviews in your area:
Links Team- Devon County in-house service. Additionally by Social Workers when required.
10. Do you provide or commission any follow-up support for children and young people following an RHI?
Yes- The service is able to offer follow-on support to young people and in some instances parents, if there is a perceived need. Follow-up sessions typically will be between 1-3 sessions, with focus on reducing risk of further missing episodes.
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?
Return Home Conversations are completed by the Links Team, which is local authorities missing person, exploitation and ASB service regarding anti-social behaviour (ASB). The service operates across the county of Devon excluding Torbay and Plymouth. The service employs alternatively qualified staff, who respond to missing episodes within national guidance. Responsibility to Hear and Care (RHC) are offered in person and take place in venues where the child prefers to be seen, including home, school, youth club settings or in the community. The service adopts a Strengths-Based, child-led approach.
RHC’s are offered to all children who go missing within Devon, including children who are Looked After by Devon, supported under Children In Need and Child Protection plans and also children who are not open to any services.