Missing Children who were in Care

[user1457017537]

AIBU to wonder why the police and social services do not do more to investigate why thousands of “looked after” ie in care, children go missing every year.

Well that’s how paedophilie grooming rings were allowed to flourish. Main reasons are sexism- attitude that these girls are out of
Control and promiscuous. Their age- the knowledge that any energy put into a 15 year old would be redundant in a few months. Fear of accusations of racism for accusing Asian men of targeting them. Rings being run through taxi services which made it look like the girls were simply running away by taxi as opposed to involved with the taxi drivers.

It’s really complex and many lessons to learn, stillni think

Yes

Ss know why children go missing, in many instances. Fifteen years ago it was seen as young people 'putting themselves at risk ',
seeking relationships, knowingly getting involved in drugs and alcohol. Now there's a very different awareness, of grooming, recognising teenagers as victims rather than wayward. But however you frame it,
professionals would have an idea why they were going but there's a big difference between knowing, and being able to stop it.

When I was younger I had a friend who lived in a care home she went missing constantly... there's only so much the local authority can do

They do. Action plans are often just not publicised, and things have to be done carefully. Parents who have been deemed as unable to offer good enough care still get angry about their children and causes further issues, and sometimes a information shared about a missing teen can give a clue as to where they are to people who shouldn’t know.
But not all children in care who go missing are in grooming gangs, please remember this. Some who are missing go and see family members who they shouldn’t see, or school friends/ boyfriends and just break the rules, rather like any other teenagers.

And yes, as above. Sometimes you can not stop a teenager climbing out of a window, running out of school etc no matter what you put in place- unless they are handcuffed to someone permanently. Every measure can be in place possible, and they can still go.

They do a lot behind the scenes, but publicising them can increase their vulnerability, so you won’t always get to hear about it.

Children in care aren't imprisoned either. Unless there's a secure order in place (extreme, rare) or deprivation of liberty order (still unusual) then they're not locked in their home. Their carers have to work with them to get to the point where they would rather stay at home /with safe friends than go missing. For children who most likely have emotional issues from previous trauma, who usually have a pull towards family however badly they've been treated, often have difficulties making or maintaining 'normal' friendships... well it's very easy to see why they might not stay home.

If anyone is interested in playing a part to support these young people, have a Google of the 'independent visitor ' role. Having a consistent person who isn't paid to be there can be really important for vulnerable young people.

They already do do lots with regularly missing children. Because it's the same children who go missing time and again.

The unfortunate reality is that the children who are reported missing aren't always missing. They've just gone somewhere they shouldn't be like their parents, family members etc. But no one wants to take responsibility for actually going to pick them up and remove them.

I think maybe people don’t understand the determination and ingenuity of some young looked after children. Many choose to go out all night, go ‘working’ in London or other cities, get drunk, take drugs and generally make life very hard for themselves - it’s why some of them end up in care in the first place.
Historically, there have been abusive children’s homes - who wouldn’t leave these, if possible? A whole lot more have staff doing a job but with little authority and without the time, continuity and presence required to build the relationships that would stop it.
Society has determined that it’s best to maintain children with their families unless absolutely impossible, so children yo yo in and out of care, with different placements each time until they are so damage by their lack of adequate parenting they hit the self destruct buttons. Very, very sad. Perhaps earlier, permanent removal and secure long term placements are the answer for little ones but wouldn’t work for those entering the care system at 14 or 15.

A girl I went to school with went missing a few times from her group home due to bulling there.
She and another girl eventually ran away a sadly killed themselves.
I think there is so so many children who need help and not enough people to do it. The workers do their best to juggle the children they have but sadly children will be let down.

They do. You don't know about it because you're a member of the public.

Often children who are missing from care are back with their birth family. The teenager has been removed from their care for the right reasons but is loyal to their family and so are 'missing from care' with whereabouts known. In those instances what should local authorities and the police do?

I think they know damn well why most of them go missing. Finding ways of helping them and keeping them safe is the tricky bit and more could be done here but care is not prison.

Personally I think depravation of liberty should be considered with young people who are hell bent on putting themaelves at risk but only if this is done from a therapeutic not punative angle.

Because they simply don’t care? Lack of funds, so it’s one less to worry about?

It’s all well and good taking children of parents but the care system does fail many in so many different ways. The care system needs a massive over haul but the government are never going to have the funds for it

Some of them are trafficked children who are rescued and put into care but have to run away back to their traffickers because their families at home are at risk from due to the money involved. If you look at missing children websites, you’ll see that a number of them will be Vietnamese for example, and may be in that situation.

Because they simply don’t care? Lack of funds, so it’s one less to worry about?

How dare you? That's a disgusting lie and a slander of all the social workers, carers and police officers who spend endless hours working to find children missing from care and trying to support them to stop going missing. How dare you?

If anyone is interested in playing a part to support these young people, have a Google of the 'independent visitor ' role. Having a consistent person who isn't paid to be there can be really important for vulnerable young people

Yes! I have done this for years and it is the most rewarding role. Couldn’t recommend it more.

stressed Was that in Erskine by any chance?

Some social workers and care workers don't care though. Like with all jobs there are some people within the care setting that simply shouldn't be there.
I used to regularly go missing. It started to avoid a member of staff when they worked nights as being elsewhere was a better alternative. And yes I did speak up, as did others.

the care system has needed an overhaul for a very, very long time

ThreadAstaire thank you I will look into becoming an independent visitor

Yes nicknacky

stressed I’m too well aware of that one. Utterly tragic.