Missing Child Policy for Students Under 16

1. Policy statement

This policy applies only to children under the age of 16. Where a member of staff is concerned about a child missing from education, this policy should be followed.

1.1 Related policies and guidance

Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Procedures

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2021) – DfE (pdf).

2. Reporting

The College monitors attendance closely, taking registers for each class four times during each day. Our Attendance Officer follows up each unauthorised absence with a telephone call or email. The College will inform the Local Authority if any pupil fails to attend college for 10 days in succession.

Where a pupil has been continuously absent without authorisation for a period of not less than 20 school days and there are no reasonable grounds to believe the pupil is unwell or unable to attend because of any unavoidable cause and the College and the local authority have failed, following reasonable enquiry, to ascertain the whereabouts of the pupil, the College may delete the pupil’s name from the admission’s register. The College will inform the Local Authority.

3. Action when a child goes missing

• Check with their friends
• Check with reception
• Inform a senior member of staff
• Call the student’s mobile
• Ask other students and staff in a calm and deliberate fashion

3.1 Further action

• Inform the DSL and Premises Manager
• DSL to telephone parents
• DSL to telephone the police
• DSL to organise search in all buildings
• Premises Manager to inform Insurers
• If student has been injured, inform the HSE under RIDDOR
• DSL to record all actions up to the point that the student is found
  • DSL to review to suggest improvements in security
• SMT to devise a press strategy

4. Action in the case of children missing on an outing

• Take an immediate head count
• An adult to search the vicinity
• Inform the DSL
• Return the remaining students to the College premises
• DSL to contact parents
• DSL to contact LSCB and/or LADO.

5. Review

This policy shall be reviewed every year as part of the College’s annual review of safeguarding and updated as necessary. In undertaking this review the DSL takes into account any incidents of missing students during the previous year and assesses whether there may be a problem with supervision, student support or security at the College, reporting to individual members of staff, students and parents.

Authorised by
The Principal

Date
September 2021

Effective date of the policy
September 2021

Circulation
Teaching staff / all staff / parents / Students on request

Review date
September 2022