Missing Children

& Multi-Agency Working

Steve Challinor Missing Person Coordinator Mark Owen Missing Person Coordinator

Ros Cuddihy Detective Sergeant Strategic Public Protection

 Workshop Objectives To provide an overview of the problem with Missing Children in North Wales To explore the link between going missing and CSE To introduce the role of the Missing Person Coordinators To consider the extent of the CSE problem in North Wales To discuss Multi Agency Working

 The Extent of the Problem

Total Missing Reports per year in North Wales? 1st Nov 2012 to 31st Oct 2013 = 1721 The number of those under 18 reported missing? Same time period = 1048

18 Years and Over, 673, 39%

Under 18 years, 1048, 61%

 Young Males v Young Females Which are most likely to be reported missing?

Males under 18, 445, 42%

Females under 18, 603, 58%

Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation Welsh Assembly Government

Purpose of the guidance 6. This statutory guidance is supplementary to Safeguarding Children: Working Together Under the Children Act 2004 (Working Together) published in 2007 and should be read in conjunction with that. It has been produced to support the implementation of the All Wales Protocol and to support local agencies in their effective application of, Working Together, in the specialist area of CSE. It should help local agencies to: develop local prevention strategies; identify those at risk of being sexually exploited; and take action to safeguard and promote the welfare of particular children and young people who are being, or may be, sexually exploited and take action against those intent on abusing and exploiting children and young people in this way

 What are the links between missing children and CSE?

When a young person is missing they become more vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and distanced from protective networks Periods of going missing is the most significant risk indicator of child sexual exploitation Evidence from research and practice in Wales suggests that young people known to be the victims of abuse through child sexual exploitation are more likely to have repeated incidents of going missing than other vulnerable young people
Barnardos Cymru

 Sexual Exploitation Risk Assessment Framework (SERAF)

Role of Missing Person Coordinator

1st November 2012 North Wales Police appointed three temporary Missing Person Coordinators to work across North Wales

What they found

Significant numbers of young people go missing in North Wales each year A small number of repeat cases make up a significant percentage of total reports and make significant demand on police and other agencies There was a general lack of awareness across agencies, inclding the Police, which agencies were trying to address Many (but not all) that go missing are looked after children who are in foster care or childrens home A lack of coordinated efforts to prevent or reduce the risks of CSE hampered the overall effectiveness

 The coordinators soon identified instances where children were putting themselves at significant risk of CSE Responses, coordinated with local police officers, social services and others, were formulated to bring offenders to book or to disrupt dangerous behaviour Significant reduction in Missing Person reports

1600

Missing Children Reports

1336

1400

1200

Number of Missing Children Reports

1048 1000

800

600

400

200

0 1st November 2011 - 31st October 2012 Dates Missing Between 1st November 2012 - 31st October 2013

700 625 600

Number of Missing Children Reports

500

497

488

400 342 300 223 200 209

100

0 Wrexham / Flintshire Conwy / Denbighshire Force Area Gwynedd / Ynys Mon

 Do we have a CSE problem in North Wales? Prosecution v Disruption?

Who has responsibility for preventing CSE or reducing the risks?

Police? Social Services? Schools? Health professionals? Youth Justice Services? Probation? Who Else?

Multi Agency Working

Thank You

Steve Challinor Missing Person Coordinator Mark Owen Missing Person Coordinator Ros Cuddihy Detective Sergeant Strategic Public Protection