Archived Forums

Pretty much, yes.If the child is over about 12 then its generally recognised that unless you know places the child is likely to go, you just have to leave the police to get on with it.A friend used to drive around local areas and check out parks etc. or places her LAC would frequent. She'd usually have to wait until the early hours for the police to arrive as they always check the house and the child's room. After that she'd go to bed. Sometimes she'd find her LAC had crept back and slept in the outside loo or even on the garden swing under the covers, but would scarper again when the family were getting up, so she got wise to these places. Sometimes she found him, sometimes not, he was 12. He usually rolled back within a day or so, but would disappear again - he didn't like the restrictions placed on him living in a family and was desperate to be placed in a children's home where he knew there would be much more freedom to do as he chose and no more 'family boundaries' which he was expected to adhere to. Her LAC was once knocked down running across a road as an older child, he wasn't badly hurt thank goodness, just shaken, and even though she reported it immediately to OOHS, no one called back or visited, and didn't even pass the message on on Monday morning.In our LA (as probably most) OOHS are massively overstretched sometimes with only two or three SW on duty covering a whole borough, and not just for kids, for vulnerable adults, mental health, and elderley too. Alot of their time is consumed by the other groups under their charge.Midge

we have two on duty, one for children and one for everyone else. all you get is an answer phone, god forbid that a child needed emergency hospital treatment that i can't consent for in the middle of the night. but yes, everything I have heard would be reflected in the original post too, one of the reasons i foster babies, at least you always know where they are.

hi In my area edt been available to support and have replied to answer phone messages, although I haven't needed this service too often. When a lac has absconded the foster carer will usually check the local area, friends ect. before reporting to the police and edt. dependent on age etc, Although for some young people who were at a higher risk they would need to report missing immidiately.If this is usual behaviour a management plan will be in place with agreed time scales etc. Hopefully the fc could talk to your daughter about what to do if she feels like that again and possible come to an agreement with what she should do instead of running away.