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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

Professional Training

It is important that where necessary, training is provided to those who work with people who go or have been missing. Through a multi-agency partnership, training requirements can be identified and provided either internally or brought in externally. Police Scotland divisional co-ordinators have provided training to partners in the use of the Herbert, Philomena and Not at Home protocols. HMICS in their recent inspection have recommended that training for police officers should be reviewed and Police Scotland are taking this action forward. Missing People charity provide return discussion training for partner agencies who are engaged with the Framework Implementation Project within a local authority area and the Working Group for Missing People will continue to review this training to develop and improve delivery.

Contact

Email: contactus@gov.scot

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