Missing Adults

Missing Adults

You do not have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing!

If you think someone is in danger you can report them missing right away.

Missing Person Definition

The definition of a missing person is:

"Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered as missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed."

Why do people go missing?

There are many reasons why an adult may go missing from hospital or a health or care setting, including mental ill health, dementia or being a care leaver (missing young adults who were previously in looked-after care are recognised as particularly vulnerable to missing episodes and associated exploitation).

There are many other known factors that can contribute to an increased risk of an adult going missing. These include (but are not limited to):

• Living in supported accommodation – Adults who live in supported accommodation are more likely to go missing due to a multitude of factors including substance misuse, associations and risk of exploitation. It is important that residents within supported accommodation provision are appropriately assessed for the likelihood of going missing and the specific risks associated with being missing assessed on each occasion for that individual.
• Substance misuse – Adults are more vulnerable to all types of exploitation and missing episodes whilst misusing substances. Vulnerability increases whilst under the influence of substances, and when trying to obtain money to buy substances.
• Domestic abuse – Domestic abuse can be extremely complex and increase the risk of adults going missing for a myriad of reasons. This could be either the victim going missing, the perpetrator, or in some circumstances it could be both together. Coercion and/or control should always be considered as a contributory factor.
• Learning Disability/Autism/ADHD – According to the charity Missing People, reasons for adults with a Learning Disability going missing could include bullying/ harassment, poor physical and mental health, difficulties in engaging with the police and other agencies, lack of suitable accommodation/homelessness, medication issues, addiction, language and communication issues, behavioural problems, transport (getting lost) and meeting strangers online. (Rickford 2012: People with Intellectual Disabilities Going Missing)
• Exploitation/Modern Day Slavery – Adults experiencing or at risk of exploitation, including Modern Day Slavery, are at increased risk of going missing. They may be missing due to experiencing harm, because they are trying to evade the person(s) who has caused them harm and/or because they do not trust services to help them.

What to do when someone goes missing

The Metropolitan Police Service offers the following advice.

Health and Social Care Professionals can report a missing person, further information can be found on the police website.

What you can do 

If you don't think someone is in immediate danger, before you report someone missing you should:

• Phone round friends and family
• check your phone and email for messages
• search the home or wherever they were last seen
• check the loft, garden, shed or garage
• remember that children can fit into small spaces
• look for any notes or other clues
• ring round local hospitals

If you can, make a note of everything you do. 

Leave the missing person's room and things alone in case we need to take a DNA sample.

Reporting a missing person

If the missing person is in immediate danger, is a young child or vulnerable to harm, call 999 now.

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service.

If you don’t think they are in immediate danger you can:

• report a missing person online
• call 101

Your report will be dealt with by our control room in exactly the same way whether you report it online or call 101.

If you report online you will get an email confirming that we've got your report and telling you what will happen next.

And you may find it easier to answer the questions online at your own pace.

Report a missing person online

If you are worried about someone's safety, do not hesitate to tell us. It is not wasting police time to report someone missing. We are here to protect you and your loved ones.

It is not illegal to go missing

A missing person will not be in trouble or be arrested for going missing. The first concern is for the missing person's wellbeing.

It is not wasting police time to report someone missing. You won't be in trouble for reporting someone missing.

It is recognised that a person over 18 years with mental capacity may be missing through their own choice. Their right to privacy must be observed and details of their location not divulged if this is their expressed decision.

If there are however concerns about the safety and well-being of the person, a decision may have to be taken to share the details of the location with relevant agencies and within the context of statutorily duties and powers to enable safeguarding actions to be taken e.g. assessment under Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) or Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Support leaving home in a difficult situation

If you are over 16 and want to leave your home, but it is difficult for some reason (for example an abusive person is stopping you), you can ask the Police for help leaving home.

Call 999 if you are in danger and need immediate help.

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergencySMS service.

Or call 101 if it is not an emergency.

People with Dementia at risk of going missing

Use the Herbert Protocol form for people with dementia at risk of going missing.

People with dementia can sometimes start to wander. This might only be into the garden or street for a short time, but sometimes people get lost and go missing.

Carers, family or friends of a vulnerable person, or the person themselves, can fill in a Herbert Protocol form in advance, containing information to help the police if the person goes missing.

Keeping a completed form means you don’t have to try to remember the information when you are under stress if someone goes missing. And it saves time, so we can start the search sooner.

Herbert Protocol Form

When to fill in a form

Use your professional opinion as a carer or your knowledge as a family member to decide whether a person is at risk of going missing. For example, you might decide it is time to fill in a form when someone cannot remember their address themselves.

Who fills in the form

A carer at a care home, family, friends or the person themselves can fill in the form.

Please get permission from the person at risk or their relatives before you complete a form. If that isn’t possible, a care home can fill in a form if they think it is in the person’s best interests.

Filling in the form with the person can trigger memories that they like to talk about, and can enrich your time with them. Be mindful though that some memories might be upsetting.

What to do with the form

You can fill in the form at herbertprotocol.com and it can be printed out. You could give a copy to friends, family and neighbours.

The form is hosted by MedicAlert who can be contacted on 01908 951045 if you have any questions and once completed you can update it at any time. 

If the person goes missing you could hand the form to the police or they can obtain it from MedicAlert. The police will ask you extra questions about what happened around the time of the disappearance and what the missing person was wearing.

Care homes must store the form legally in accordance with data protection laws.

Make sure you keep the form up to date if something changes, for example their medication or their daily routine changes.

Further information and advice is available on the Metropolitan Police Service website including:

• What to do first
• Report a missing person
• After you have reported a missing person
• How you can help
• Missing Abroad
• Add something to a missing person report

Alzheimer's Society

Supporting a person with dementia who walks about

The Alzheimer’s Society has lots of helpful information and advice on adults with dementia who like to walk.

If someone you are caring for often walks about, it can be difficult to know how to respond. Take the time to try to understand why they are walking and what they need.

1. Why a person with dementia might be walking about
2. Supporting a person with dementia who walks about

How to help a stranger who seems lost or confused?

The Alzheimer’s Society explains how to respond to someone you believe has dementia or memory problems, why people with Dementia may wander or get lost and how to assist the police.

The advice is also likely to be of benefit to police and other professionals.

The Forcer Protocol is a new scheme being trialled in conjunction with Greater Manchester Police. Its aim is to reduce the risk of harm to service veterans, reservists and currently serving members of the armed forces who go missing by enabling swift access to key information that can help the police find the person more quickly. Safe and Found Online has developed an online version of the Forcer Protocol.

The Forcer Protocol is a tool used by the Police to ensure key information is available to them when they are searching for service veterans who are lost or have gone missing. It is named after Alan Forcer who suffered with complex PTSD and debilitating depression following service in Northern Ireland & Kosovo during the height of the conflicts, subsequently taking his own life. Service veterans, their informal and professional carers, family members and friends can complete a form which records vital information in relation to the veteran in case they go missing.

The Forcer Protocol is a form designed in consultation with the police and other specialist support organisations to ensure key information is available to the police when they are searching for people who are lost or have gone missing. It is being rolled out as national initiative with all UK police forces.

Adult Safeguarding Concern

If you suspect that you or an adult you care about may be at risk of abuse or neglect please complete the Adult Safeguarding Concern form and return to the Lewisham Adult Gateway as instructed in the form. Alternatively if you have concerns about the immediate safety of an adult at risk then please contact the Police on 999. 

If you are a member of the public we recommend you make contact with the Lewisham Adult Gateway via telephone.

There are a number of other ways you can contact the Lewisham Adult Gateway

The team can be contacted Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Tel: 020 8314 7777 (select option 1) Tel: 020 8314 7766 (outside of office hours)

Fax: 020 8314 3014

Email Lewisham Adult Gateway

Local Authority Response

In accordance with Section 42 of the Care Act 2014, local authorities must make enquiries or ensure others do so, when there is reasonable cause to suspect that an adult in its area:

1. Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and;
2. Is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect and;
3. As a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect

Safeguarding adults plans devised as a result of a Section 42 enquiry where the person going missing was a feature, might include actions such as:

• Completing a trigger plan or appropriate protocol, eg Herbert, Forcer.
• Clarity on who will be notified when there is a concern about the person going missing.
• Assessment of mental capacity in relation to the missing episodes.
• Consideration of legal powers available e.g. Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, Inherent Jurisdiction.
• Consider whether there is any assistive technology which would support the adult and ensure tech options have been explored.
• Flagging the person’s vulnerability on relevant agency records.
• Action against any alleged perpetrators, including disruption activity.
• Sharing information about the missing person – particularly with Metropolitan Police and hospital trusts.
• Agreeing safety plans with the person to reduce risks should they go missing in the future – e.g. where might be a safe place to go, planning how to get home, ability to communicate with someone for help.
• Addressing the reasons why the person might be going missing.
• Supporting family members / carers or staff caring for the person who has gone missing.

UK Missing Persons Unit

The UK Missing Persons Unit (UKMPU) are the national and international point of contact for all missing persons and unidentified body investigations providing specialist support to law enforcement agencies in the UK and overseas.

They are the only UK agency focused exclusively on missing people. The UKMPU serve all UK police forces as well as overseas police agencies.

The UKMPU are a hub for the exchange of information and provision of expertise on the subject of missing persons. They provide a comprehensive service for all missing person investigations, supporting law enforcement and other agencies.

The UKMPU national database provides a unique function enabling the cross-matching of outstanding missing individuals with unidentified people, bodies and remains.

Their extensive experience in dealing with missing person and unidentified body investigations provides an essential service to forces and can help resolve cases that may otherwise remain outstanding. This can save police forces significant time and resources and provide the friends and family of missing and unidentified persons with vital closure.

The UKMPU website provides valuable information resources in relation to unidentified remains cases, being the only UK website that shares, when appropriate and as a last resort, details of unidentified persons.

The UKMPU also offer Factsheets for Families and have been written for the families and friends of missing persons. They provide advice on many aspects of 'missing', including what to expect during the police investigation, what to do if someone is missing abroad and how to deal with the more long-term issues of someone going missing, such as how to deal with their financial affairs.

 

Missing People are the only UK charity providing a lifeline to those affected by a disappearance or thinking of going missing.

When someone you know goes missing, Missing People offer support and guidance, no matter how long the person has been missing for.

Missing People offer help and support to people who are missing or someone they know is missing.

Information and Services they provide include:

• Need to talk to someone?
• Are you 'missing' and what does that mean?
• How to stop being missing
• Dealing with your missing person's affairs
• How to launch a publicity appeal for your missing loved one
• Key facts about 'missing'
• What the police do to find a missing person

Sign up to be a digital search hero

By joining the community of Digital Search Heroes, you will help us to be there online and in your local community.

It is free to join and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Your support will mean so much to missing people and their loved ones.

The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service

Reconciling family members who have lost contact

Since 1885 the Salvation Army Family Tracing Service has been helping to reconcile family members who have lost contact with each other, and facilitating the first contact or rebuilding of these relationships.

We know that contact can be lost for many reasons, and searching for a relative is often an emotional experience. We provide a service that is professional, compassionate and non-judgmental, with support throughout the searching process.

Get in contact with the Family Tracing Service.

Think Family

A child can go missing at any time. In most cases they return on their own, safe and well, but there is always the potential for children to come to serious harm while missing. Not all young people who go missing are reported missing. This leaves them vulnerable to abuse.

To report your child missing, call the police on 101, or contact your neighbourhood policing team. If you believe your child is in immediate danger, call 999. You don’t have to wait 24 hours, you can report your child missing straight away.

If you know where your child is, but are concerned for their safety (for example, they are at a place where you suspect criminal activity is taking place) you can ask the police to carry out a welfare check to make sure they are safe.

Before contacting the police:

• Check the bedroom and any other place where your child might be in the house or building.
• Check the surrounding area – gardens, sheds, garages etc.
• Check with your child’s friends, school, work, neighbours, relatives or anyone else who may know where they are. Ask them to tell you straight away if they hear from your child.
• Try to get hold of your child by phone, text or social networking sites such as Snapchat and Facebook.

The Children’s Society has information on what to do if your child goes missing what-to-do-if-your-child-goes-missing

Runaway Helpline

Missing People have a Runaway Helpline on their 116 000 number, for young people who have gone missing or are thinking of going missing.

Runaway Helpline website

Links to other useful organisations

Message Home Service

If you don’t want to talk to the police, Missing People can help you get in touch with people at home without revealing where you are.

Sending a message home via Missing People

They can also arrange a three-way call between you and the police (with Missing People mediating) if you want to talk to us without letting us know where you are.