What the guidance says
The Department for Education's statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care (2014) says a return interview should be offered within 72 hours of the child returning. It is carried out by someone independent of the child's care.
Whose duty it is
Arranging the return interview is the placing authority's responsibility. The home makes it happen in practice: telling the right people quickly, making the child available, and chasing when it is late.
Pin every timescale in the officeThe free manager's clock card puts Reg 35, Reg 40, the LADO, return interviews and more on one A4 page.Get the clock card
What the home should do
- Follow your missing policy, which Regulation 34 requires to have regard to the local police protocol.
- Welcome the child back, check they are safe and well, and record what they say in their own words.
- Chase the placing authority if the interview has not been offered within 72 hours, and record that you chased.
- Get the outcome and make sure it reaches the child's plan and risk assessment.
- Look for patterns: repeated missing episodes can signal exploitation.
Questions
Who carries out the return interview?
Someone independent of the child's care, arranged by the placing authority. The home's job is to make sure it happens and that the learning is used.
This guide explains the law in plain English. It is not legal advice, and your home's policy may set tighter timescales.