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.

Supporting documents

Definition of a “missing person”

The following definition of a missing person is used across Scotland and remains key to assessing when a person is missing:

A missing person is anyone whose whereabouts are unknown and:

Where the circumstances are out of character; or
The context suggests the person may be subject to crime; or
The person is at risk of harm to themselves or another

Contact

Email: contactus@gov.scot

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Information

Definition of a “missing person”

Contact