Philomena Protocol
The Philomena Protocol is designed to provide the Police with accurate and up to date information about a child who has gone missing from care homes and other local authority accommodation and puts emphasis on carers (residential care home staff, supported accommodation staff and foster carers) working alongside allocated workers in children’s services to identify where a child or young person in their care is likely to go missing. A form for the Protocol is completed by the care provider when a new child is placed with them. The information is securely retained and should a child or young person go missing, is then utilised by the carer in order to make efforts to locate them. The form is sent to the Police and the child’s social worker (if applicable) when a missing episode occurs. This enables a more efficient missing enquiry. The Protocol seeks to reduce missing episodes, to obtain quality information about a missing person and to assist in locating and safeguarding a missing person at the earliest opportunity. It has been shown to reduce the amount of time a person reporting someone missing spends on the 101 call system and a decrease in the amount of time it takes to record a missing person. It has also been shown in some cases to empower the child and reduce missing episodes through a sense of being wanted and cared for.
Please see below for links to the Missing Children page and Policy on the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership’s website and Suffolk Police’s Missing Person’s leaflet.