Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to recommission its Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service.

Statutory guidance requires children who have been reported missing to be offered an independent Return Home Conversation following their return, with the conversation normally taking place within 72 hours of the child returning home or to their care setting.

The Service will provide independent Return Home Conversations for eligible Buckinghamshire children and young people aged 10 to 17 inclusive following a missing episode, including Buckinghamshire children looked after who are placed outside the county.

The Service will identify safeguarding concerns, exploitation, unmet needs and factors contributing to missing behaviour, and support the identification and implementation of actions to improve safety and reduce repeat missing episodes. It will also provide Missing Interventions for children experiencing repeat or persistent missing episodes, emerging vulnerabilities or unmet needs.

The Provider will work within a multi-agency framework and use information gathered through service delivery to inform safeguarding, prevention, contextual safeguarding, disruption activity, strategic insight and partnership responses. The Provider will be responsible for delivering or securing out-of-county Return Home Conversations, including directly delivering conversations where appropriate and managing and quality assuring any subcontracted or host local authority arrangements.

The Contract will have an initial term of three years, with the option to extend for up to two further one-year periods, giving a maximum potential Contract term of five years.