Thematic inspection of police response to missing persons in Scotland

General

• The scale of missing person incidents in Scotland is considerable, with Police Scotland recording over 20,000 missing person reports on its system for tasking and operational resource management (STORM) in 2023. Following assessment, almost 18,000 missing person investigations proceeded and were recorded on the police national missing persons application (NMPA) in the same year.
• The number of police investigations undertaken has reduced over the past two years. Investigations undertaken in the year 2022-23 were recorded as 17,917 whereas, in 2023-24, the figure reduced to 16,236.
• Most people go missing from their home address. There has been a decrease in the number of people missing from home in the past year, along with those missing from NHS settings, foster care and children’s houses.
• The majority of missing person investigations in Scotland relate to those aged 17 years and under.
• The issue of missing persons in Scotland is wide-ranging and affects both urban and rural areas (although the police investigative response can differ significantly, based on differences in population and geographical issues).
• There is a clear definition in place of what constitutes a missing person, which has been agreed between Police Scotland and partners. This includes an agreed definition of risk.
• The response to missing persons is not solely a police matter and often involves key partners from health, local authorities and third sector organisations at a national and local level.
• Police Scotland has demonstrated consistent success in resolving missing person incidents. Data for the past four years shows that over 99% of missing persons are traced alive each year. Over 90% of missing incidents are closed within 48 hours, with 58% closing within the first eight hours.

Leadership and vision

• Police Scotland subscribes to the National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland (the framework). This is a Scottish Government-led framework that sets out expectations and commitments for a multi-agency response to missing persons in Scotland.
• Police Scotland has collaborated effectively with partners at a national level to develop the framework, which was first introduced in 2017.
• The establishment of a national multi-agency framework for missing persons is a particular strength in Scotland. The principles are supported by research and evidence of what works. There is no similar framework in place in other parts of the UK.
• The Scottish Government provides valuable support to promote missing person policy. It provides funding for national missing person coordinators (hereinafter referred to as national coordinators), hosted by a third sector charity organisation, Missing People, that operates across the UK and undertakes secretariat functions for the framework implementation group.
• Police Scotland has been a driving force behind the implementation of the framework. However, more recently, there have been gaps in clear and visible leadership at senior level, as well as in the oversight and governance of operations.
• There is clear and effective divisional leadership. This includes effective command structures for high-risk missing person investigations.
• The framework is not statutory guidance, which can result in some partners giving it less attention and emphasis than it requires. The framework does not have the consistent profile that it should have among some partner organisations.
• There was limited awareness of the collective aims and objectives of the framework across divisions and among operational officers and staff.
• Several partners and partnership areas have made considerable progress in adopting the framework and have worked effectively with Police Scotland on its implementation at a local level. However, this is not consistent across the country.
• Police Scotland has a good understanding of demand resulting from missing persons. However, a more strategic planning response is required to identify efficiencies that may have a positive impact on demand levels.
• Police Scotland has developed suitable guidance for officers and staff, but there is no specific role profile or overarching guidance for divisional missing person coordinators where they are not affiliated to a divisional missing person coordination unit.
• While there are a range of procedures and toolkits in place to support the operational practice of officers and staff in respect of missing person investigations, these can be difficult to find on the police intranet. This resulted in some staff not being aware of relevant practice guides.
• Police Scotland provides quarterly performance reports to the SPA. The reports are used to highlight trends and changes in the number and type of incidents that are investigated. Current performance management data includes a range of demand-related information relevant to demographics and geographical differences.
• There is no overarching internal mechanism to evaluate the quality of the police response for missing persons.

Partnership working

• Police Scotland is a key partner in the framework implementation group. This is principally made up of representatives from Scottish Government, police, third sector agencies and academia. While beneficial in setting the agenda and providing oversight of the development and implementation of the framework, the group has no representation from senior personnel from local authorities or health services, which limits its influence.
• The development of collaborative working arrangements and positive operational culture is largely driven by divisional police leadership, alongside the National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit (UKMPU). This is considered by partners to be very positive.
• The contribution of partner organisations at a divisional level is variable. Several partners and local authority areas have made considerable progress in adopting the framework and have worked effectively with Police Scotland on its implementation at a local level. However, this is not consistent across the country.
• There is no national strategic group, made up of senior representatives from partnership bodies including police, health, and local authorities, to collectively steer the partnership response to missing persons. The effectiveness of a collaborative missing person response tends to be based on the quality of divisional partnership working agreements and can therefore depend on the level of priority given to it by divisional commanders and local partners.
• A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was previously in place between Police Scotland and Missing People however this has lapsed. The MOU concentrated on arrangements for referrals aimed at helping and supporting missing persons and their families. An information sharing agreement is being developed, however more needs to be done to ensure the range of services offered by Missing People are understood and used more widely across Police Scotland.

Delivery

• The overarching operational response to missing person incidents is very effective. There are a number of areas where efficiencies can be identified and should be addressed to ensure that resources are used effectively, and that police response and outcomes for missing persons continue to improve.
• The Police Scotland national missing persons unit (NMPU) provides effective oversight and support for missing person enquiries. The unit provides investigative advice and quality assurance of the forms uploaded to the NMPA and oversees compliance with the system.
• The NMPU has limited staffing and resources to achieve its aims and objectives and relies on divisional coordinators (with varying degrees of capacity) to drive national approaches at a local level.
• The role of divisional coordinator is an essential and integral part of ensuring an effective response to missing persons. The role is not always protected within divisions. This can result in inconsistencies in how missing persons are managed at a local level and can affect the quality of performance information and partnership working.
• The NMPA provides a standardised framework for all Police Scotland missing person investigations. It is a very useful system that holds information on all missing person incidents and allows police to analyse critical missing persons information that can enhance investigative opportunities.
• The NMPA does not work well on mobile devices used routinely by police, as the system was developed for desktop use. This has introduced time inefficiencies, with officers often travelling to and from offices to record information on the system.
• Police Scotland’s initial response to calls made to police service centres was of a very high standard. Most calls were dealt with by service advisors in a polite, helpful and professional manner. Our audit of calls made to service centres showed the majority of service advisors accurately obtained and recorded information as expected, in accordance with guidance.
• A THRIVE assessment was used in almost all calls reviewed as part of our audit. However, we consider that the assessment could be used more effectively and consistently in respect of children reported missing and, in some cases, where calls had been made from older-adult care facilities.
• Contact centre service advisors referred to the iVPD and other police systems to gather relevant information on potential vulnerabilities of the missing person, however their access to the system is limited.
• Almost all calls within our audit were assessed accurately and resolved appropriately by service advisors. This meant that accurate response levels were provided to local police divisions in a significant majority of cases.
• The operational response from local policing divisions to missing person incidents is very good. Police are highly committed to locate and return people who have been reported missing, as quickly as possible.
• The issue of some people being reported missing repeatedly presents a considerable challenge to police and partners. Children and young people are most likely to be subject to repeat missing person reports.
• Addressing repeat missing persons is a priority for Police Scotland, but there is no distinct national strategy for this. It is most often led by local divisions and therefore the approach can vary across the country.
• The effective use of early intervention, preventative approaches and protocols is essential to improve outcomes and reduce demand in an appropriate manner, including subjects of repeat missing persons reports.
• Police Scotland is very committed and engaged in working with partners to implement nationally adopted protocols at a local level, including the Herbert, Philomena and Not at Home protocols.
• We found several good examples of early intervention, prevention and the use of protocols at divisional level, however this was not replicated consistently across the country.
• The national coordinators, hosted by the Missing People charity, provide consultancy, training and valuable support for divisional police and partner organisations to implement and embed the missing persons framework.
• Some divisional coordinators and their local partners have achieved a reduction in demand by targeting repeat missing persons and collaborating on an appropriate supportive response.
• The practical approach and arrangements for return discussions (conducted with returned missing people) vary across the country, and more needs to be done to coordinate a consistent approach between police and partners.
• Police Scotland provides introductory-level training on missing persons to all probationary officers at the Scottish Police College, but there are gaps and inconsistencies in its training for operational officers and supervisors. Such training should enable and equip them to assess risk consistently across the country.
• While the operational support division (OSD) provides a wide range of specialist support services to local policing to enhance and support investigations, there is some inconsistency in access to specialist support services particularly in rural and semi-rural areas. Divisions in such areas have formed partnership arrangements with local specialist services to address this issue, and ensure more immediate access to meet their needs, and support investigations.
• It is a challenge to balance the resource required to meet the volume of missing person investigations that occur each year with that of other policing demands.

Outcomes

• While, Police Scotland has achieved positive outcomes in terms of delivering a largely effective response to missing people, there is no overarching structure in place to set outcome targets and monitor the extent to which these have been achieved.
• Performance reports provide quantitative data, but there is limited information on the quality of service provision. This has resulted in missed opportunities to identify what is working well (or less well), to share learning and good practice, and to further develop this aspect of police services.
• Senior partners from health and local government should do more to collaborate with Police Scotland to ensure that there is a genuine multi-agency response to missing persons, aligning with the aims, objectives and commitments of the framework.
• Our onsite visits to local divisions to meet with partner organisations, senior managers and practitioners provided sound examples of very good local partnership working. We know that this also exists in those divisions not visited during our inspection, however, we are aware that this varies considerably across the country.
• We visited Lanarkshire, Highland and Islands, and Edinburgh City divisions during our inspection and were impressed by the collaborative approach and practical arrangements put in place by police and partners in those areas. There was a clear focus on working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for missing people, to reduce repeat incidents, and to provide support to missing people once returned.
• The development of divisional partnership protocols outlining an agreed strategic approach to missing persons – including focus on early intervention and prevention activity – is essential in achieving positive outcomes and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the multi-agency response.