Legal Intervention
Particular consideration needs to be given to appropriate legal intervention where it appears that a child, for whom there are outstanding concerns about their safety and welfare, may be removed from the UK by his/her family in order to evade the involvement of those agencies with safeguarding responsibilities.
Particular consideration also should be given to appropriate legal intervention when a child who is subject to a Care Order has been removed from the UK. The Helpdesk (Tel: 01952 385700) or the EDT if the discovery is made outside normal office hours (Tel: 01952 676500) the Safeguarding Advisory Service and the Police (Tel: 0300 333 3000) must be informed as appropriate and without delay.
A west Mercia protocol is being developed in respect of ALL children and young people who go missing. . The draft is available in the document library but may be subject to amendment. Please contact the Safeguarding Advisory Service for further information (Tel: 01952 38 5678)
Immediate consultation between Police and Children's Services must begin and the information made available to relevant senior officers. Discussion, in consultation with senior officers, may lead to the information being given to the Child Abduction Section at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.