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Missing children and young people

CIMS, reportable conduct scheme, protection, critical incidents, CIMS report, 1515
1515
Follow this procedure when a child or young person subject to child protection involvement goes missing.
Document ID number 1515, version 5, 9 December 2024.
Introduction

Children involved with Child Protection and community service organisations (CSOs) or Aboriginal community controlled organisations (ACCOs) may be involved in high risk situations resulting from being absent from placement without approval or being pushed away or  lured away from placement. Lengthy and/or repeated episodes of being missing can result in an increase of risk to the child.  

In addition to the direct responses to ‘missing’ events, including seeking a warrant and making a missing person report to police, there are additional case practice tasks required in relation to children with a history of being missing from care/ placement.   

For additional information please see Missing children and young people - advice.

If a missing persons report, Children’s Court search warrant, or missing persons media release is required please follow Missing persons report - advice, Missing persons report - procedure, Publication of identifying details - advice and Publication of identify details - procedure.

Procedure

Case practitioner tasks

  • Document a response plan for any child who is reported missing that includes:  
    • the nominated person/s who will be responsible for the return to care conversation with the child  
    • arrangements for a return to care conversation to occur within 48 hours of the child’s return  
    • how the return to care conversation will be reported to the case manager. 
  • Document the outcome of the return to care conversation on CRIS. 
  • Complete a Client Incident Management System (CIMS) incident report when a young person is missing or absent during service delivery.  
    • Child protection service delivery is defined in CIMS as an incident that harms a child or young person while receiving child protection services is in scope for CIMS when the child is with anyone other than their parent, approved by Child Protection. 
    • Child protection is responsible for completing the incident report and follow up when the incident has occurred during their service delivery, such as when the child is residing in child protection-managed kinship care.  
    • CSOs are responsible for completing the incident report when the incident has occurred during their service delivery, such as when a child is residing in residential care, CSO case-contracted kinship care, or out of home care – foster care. 
    • See Client Incident Management System (CIMS) policy, Client Incident Management System (CIMS) - Advice and Allegations of harm to clients in care - Client Incident Management System (CIMS) procedure for further information, including incident types and steps required. 
  • For incidents in scope of CIMS: 
    • When a warrant has been issued, a major impact CIMS incident report must be submitted. 
    • If a missing person report has been made, use professional judgement to assess whether the incident is categorised as a major or non-major impact incident. See CIMS policy and guidance – providers’ page https://providers.dffh.vic.gov.au/cims for major and non-major impact definitions 
    • When determining the extent of the risk to the child, consider the child’s past experiences of harm and how this experience may have a cumulative effect for the current period of absence. 
  • Seek information from the care team and any other relevant individuals to formulate a risk assessment of the child’s episode of being missing from care. For shared clients with Youth Justice, consult with the young person’s Youth Justice worker. 
  • Update the relevant essential information categories, including child characteristics with information and evidence relating to the child’s episode of being missing from care. Consider evidence-based factors such as ‘changes/ deterioration behaviour’, and ‘risk taking behaviours’ that may place them at risk of harm.  
  • Consider completing a review risk assessment  

  • Document the following on CRIS: 

    • concerns/risks for child while missing 
    • people or locations the child is likely to have contact with or visit when missing   
    • a detailed response plan to guide practitioners and professionals on specific tasks to locate the child 
    • After Hours Child Protection Emergency Service (AHCPES) considerations for existing safety plans 
    • plans on how to re-engage the child when located including the return to care conversation 
    • plans to  disrupt the push/ pull factors which have influenced the child to leave/ be reported as missing and increase their connection to their placement  
    • arrangements for providing any updates to Victoria Police. 

    NOTE: The Repeat missing profile (RMP) (include link) may be used as a tool to support case mangers undertake a risk assessment of children who are frequently missing from care. See also Missing children and young people – advice .  

  • Consult with the Area Sexual Exploitation Practice Leader and complete a sexual exploitation information template if it is suspected or confirmed that the child has been sexually exploited while missing, including: 
    • a chronology of the dates and times the child has been missing 
    • brief information about the child’s presentation prior to and following them being missing 
    • the believed or confirmed location of the child when missing and persons they were believed or confirmed to have had contact with. 
    • Record any information gathered that identifies the Person/s of Interest suspected of sexually exploiting the child and assisting and/or concealing them while missing.  
  • Document responses to the child’s precursors to being missing from care/ while away and strategies for prevention in any safety plans. Where a child is in care, ensure the service provider has updated any behaviour support plans and the care and placement plan. When required, complete a weekly missing update for the Area review process. 

Team manager/senior practitioner (supervisory) tasks

  • Support the case manager to actively participate in the child’s care team when behaviour leading to being missing from care has been identified. Support the case manager to undertake ongoing engagement with relevant professionals (police, residential care providers, therapeutic staff) about the child’s ‘missing’ response plan.  
  • Follow the case plan preparation and review following the making of a protection order procedure (link). Missing from Care should be considered as a ‘change in circumstances’ and trigger a case plan review for a child.  
  • Schedule a review of the case plan where significant risks are identified to the child’s day to day safety and stability. This review should explore the unmet needs of the child and how these unmet needs are influencing the push/pull factors luring the child away from placement and safety. 

Team manager / practice leader tasks 

Area executive director tasks

  • Implement a review process for monitoring and oversight of all children actively missing from care. 
  • Endorse CIMS investigation or review reports, including high-level recommendations to promote the safety and well-being of the client and improve the quality of service delivery 
Related procedures and resources