National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland 2025

Roles and Responsibilities

Prevention, Response, Support and Protect

The following sets out the roles and responsibilities for key partners based on the best practice that has been gathered from multi-agency groups across local authorities in Scotland.

Local Multi-Agency Partnership

• Develop and implement local Multi Agency Missing Persons Protocol which includes:
• The definition of missing and risk assessment (Low, Medium and High) in this Framework;
• Agreement on who will conduct return discussions from relevant settings in the local area;
• Agreement on information sharing protocol with partners.
• Ensure that people going missing is a priority in local structures, for example in Public Protection Chief Officer Groups and/or adult and child protection.
• Establish regular strategic and operational multi-agency meetings focused on missing persons and opportunities for shared learning based on local need.
• Review local support services available and build reference file to refer and sign post when appropriate.

Multi-Agency partnerships should include representatives from key partners, statutory bodies and agencies working with people who go missing, these include:

Local Authorities

• Engagement with local multi-agency group and development of local missing persons protocol.
• Ensure responsibilities within local missing person protocol are known to:
• Try to locate the missing person;
• Report the person missing;
• Agree information sharing pathway with partners;
• Work to the single definition of missing persons with local partners;
• Adopt common understanding of the risk assessment (Low, Medium, High);
• Support the family/loved ones of the missing person.
• Ensure messages about the risks of going missing are included in relevant local guidance and return discussion training.

Private Care Providers

• Engagement with local multi-agency group and development of local missing persons protocol.
• Ensure responsibilities within local missing person protocol are known and:
• Missing person guidance in place within the organisation including prevention planning and when to share information with partner agencies;
• Care plans developed to include information to prevent and respond to future missing episodes;
• Staff participate in training on how to respond to someone at risk of going missing and appropriate reporting to Police Scotland.
• Work with partners to build awareness of support services available.
• Ensure staff providing support to those at risk of going missing are trained to conduct a return discussion and use appropriate protocols regarding children missing from care (Not at Home protocol and Philomena protocol), and people living with dementia (Herbert protocol).
• Review the effectiveness of current prevention strategies following a missing episode.

NHS Scotland Health Boards

• Engagement with local multi-agency group and development of local missing persons protocol.
• Ensure responsibilities within local missing person protocol are known and;
• Prevention planning takes place for patients at risk of going missing;
• Information sharing protocol agreed with partners;
• The definition of a missing person is in place with local partners;
• The risk assessment (Low, Medium, High) is adopted.
• Work with partners to ensure adults and children in their care receive an appropriate return discussion.
• Ensure staff are trained on how to conduct a return discussion.
• Review the provision of appropriate follow on support for the returned person.
• Ensure messages about the risks of going missing are included in relevant guidance and training.

Police Scotland

• Engagement with local multi-agency group and development of local missing persons protocol.
• Ensure responsibilities within local missing person protocol are known and Missing Persons coordinator is engaging with local partners to:
• Establish and implement local missing person protocol;
• Provide local analysis and data for partners about people going missing in the area;
• Agree information sharing protocol with partners;
• Agree roles and responsibilities with partner agencies for actions taken to;
• Co-ordinate and establish protocols with local partners regarding children missing from care (Not at Home protocol), and people living with dementia (Herbert protocol) who may go missing and (Philomena protocol) for people who have or may go missing.
• Work with partners to ensure adults and children receive an appropriate return discussion.
• Ensure relevant staff are trained on how to complete a safe and well check and conduct a return discussion.
• Ensure organisations are aware of where to refer/signpost a returned person and families for follow on support following a return discussion.
• Review the effectiveness of current prevention strategies following a missing episode.
• Ensure messages about the risks of going missing are included in relevant guidance and training.
• Support the family/loved ones of the missing person.

Education

• Engagement with local multi-agency group and development of local missing persons protocol.
• Ensure responsibilities within local missing person protocol are known and:
• Prevention planning takes place for pupils who have or are at risk of going missing;
• Information sharing protocol with partners is understood;
• The definition of missing persons is used with local partners;
• The risk assessment (Low, Medium, High) is adopted.
• Ensure guidance includes Children Missing from Education.
• Ensure that the pupil is referred to specialist support, where appropriate and/or wider education is provided about missing Resources Archive - runaway-helpline-scotland (runawayhelpline.org.uk)
• Work with partners to ensure children receive an appropriate return discussion.
• Ensure relevant staff are trained on how to conduct a return discussion.

Third Sector

• Engagement with local multi-agency group and development of local missing persons protocol.
• Ensure responsibilities within local missing person protocol are known and there is organisational missing person guidance in place that:
• Includes information sharing protocol with partners;
• Uses the single definition of missing persons in this Framework with local partners;
• The risk assessment (Low, Medium, High) is adopted;
• Agrees roles and responsibilities with partner agencies for actions taken to try to locate a missing person and when to report a person missing.
• Training for relevant staff on how to respond to someone at risk of going missing.
• Work with partners to build awareness of support services available.
• Ensure staff providing support to those who have or are at risk of going missing are trained on how to conduct a return discussion.

Scottish Government

• Work with partners through the Framework Implementation Project to achieve the aims of the National Framework and help deliver the commitments.
• Through the Framework Implementation Project ensure training for practitioners is appropriate and up to date for return discussions.
• Continue to support a national working group to review the operation of guidance for missing persons in Scotland.
• Ensure messages about the risks of going missing are included in national guidance, policies and strategies.