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Publication - Advice and guidance

National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland 2025

Published
10 September 2025
From
Minister for Victims and Community Safety, +11 more … Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Chief Executive of NHS Scotland and Director-General Health and Social Care, Director of Health Workforce, Director of Justice, Director of Mental Health, Director of People, Director of Safer Communities, Director-General Education and Justice, Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise, Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Directorate
Justice Directorate, +5 more … Children and Families Directorate, Jobs and Wellbeing Economy Directorate, Mental Health Directorate, People Directorate, Safer Communities Directorate
Topic
Children and families, Communities and third sector, Health and social care, +2 more … Law and order, Public safety and emergencies
ISBN
9781806430826

The National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland (2025) provides updated roles and responsibilities of respective agencies, standardising key practice from a wealth of good practice across Scotland, that aims to help and safeguard those who go missing through multi-agency working.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Herbert Protocol

In 2021, the Herbert protocol was launched across Scotland. The Herbert protocol helps family and carers gather and store relevant information about a person living with dementia that can then help Police Scotland locate the person quickly and prevent them coming to harm if they go missing. In some areas the Herbert protocol has also been used to gather and store relevant information relating to people who may not have dementia but have otherwise been identified as being at risk of going missing. When used, the information stored cuts down on information gathering time for Police Scotland and aids the response time.

Contact

Email: contactus@gov.scot

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