Missing Black People

Dominic Norton founded Missing Black People to advocate for more equal responses to missing people from Black communities and publicise their appeals.

Since 2021, we’ve partnered with Missing Black People on a range of campaigns and research specifically linked to the experiences of Black families and missing people.

Missing Black People have worked to drive change in local and national responses while ensuring that the cases of missing Black people get seen and prioritised.

Listen Up Research

Jahnine Davis founded Listen Up, a research organisation that works to highlight the experiences of Black and racialised children in child protection and safeguarding. They lead national discussions on adultification and offer support through research, training, evaluation, and consultation.

We have worked with ListenUp over recent years to publish a range of research into the experiences of Black missing people and their families. This partnership has allowed us to better understand the risks and barriers facing Black communities when someone goes missing.

Evidence Joel

Evidence Joel has been involved with Missing People after her son, Richard Okorogheye, went missing in 2021 and was tragically found deceased 10 days later. Evidence boldly spoke about racism she faced during  the search for Richard.

Evidence has since partnered with Missing People, Missing Black People, and Listen Up to advocate for better police responses to missing ethnic minorities. She has made it her goal to ensure that no other family experiences the same lack of support and urgency that she did.

Research

Together with our partners, we have published research:

The Ethnicity of Missing People

Based on data from police forces and local authorities, this research found that people from minority ethnic groups were missing for longer, less likely to be found by the police, and less likely to be recorded as being at risk, than white people.

We also published two reviews after six months and one year, detailing the change and new research prompted by the report.

“We’re told not to make everything about race, but it is about race.” The experiences of Black missing children and their parents 

This report listened to the voices of children and young people, as well as parents of children who have been missing, to explore Black children and their families’ lived experiences of going missing. The aim was to try to understand better:

1. Why are Black children more likely to go missing than other children?
2. Why are Black children more likely to be missing for longer than other children?
3. What response are Black children and families receiving from professionals, and does this differ from the response other children and families receive?

The key findings from this report were that Black children face higher risks of going missing due to exploitation, identity struggles, and systemic racism. They receive poorer professional responses, less media attention and are often stereotyped when they go missing. There is also a distinct distrust in services like police, which stems from lived experiences of racism and neglect.

Learn more

You can learn more about our research and read the full reports below.

The work that families of missing people, us and our partner organisations are doing has exposed systemic issues in the response to Black missing people. These must be addressed. No one should be left unlooked for, or unsupported, when they go missing or report a loved one missing. We will continue to work alongside those with lived experience to drive change for others in the future.

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Since the Act came into play, there have only been 13 successful applications. This review explores the reasons why the uptake is so low through a survey and interviews with families of long-term missing people: both those who have and have not applied to become a guardian. This report provides a series of recommendations with the aim of improving people’s access to Guardianship powers and increasing the number of people using the legislation to manage their loved ones’ affairs.

The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 created a new legal status of guardian of the affairs of a missing person. Becoming a guardian allows families or friends to manage their missing person’s financial affairs, with a responsibility to act in their best interests. Applications can be made when a person has been missing for 90 days or longer. It means that families can step in and safeguard their loved one’s assets in their absence – for example, suspending direct debits for mobile phone and utility bills, making mortgage payments, or spending money to look after dependents.

Please read the report to find out more about our three recommendations:

1. Increased Awareness
2. Reducing economic barriers to seeking guardianship powers
3. Alternative options for managing basic financial issues for families who do not require full guardianship powers

Read the report

Read the full report via the link below

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These people are often vulnerable, and at serious risk of harm, and yet there is very little information about who they are, what happens to them, what drives people to go missing in this situation, or how we can best support them.

The majority of those incidents are reported from ‘acute/general hospitals’ which would include A&E departments; and mental health services, as shown in the table below:

There is disagreement about who should be responsible for responding to these incidents. The Right Care Right Person national partnership agreement suggests that health should take the lead when someone walks out of a hospital or mental health services. And in some ways that’s absolutely right, people who are in mental health crisis should not be over-policed. People should have the right to go where they want, unless they are at immediate risk to themselves or others, and the police should not be investigating someone’s life if there’s no good reason to do so.

However, when does someone leaving hospital become a missing person incident? Where is the threshold for police intervention, where we acknowledge the need for specialist police resources, expertise and tools in finding someone and ensuring their safety?

When someone arrives at hospital, or is being cared for under mental health services, we expect them to be kept safe. So wouldn’t we expect the police to react if they go missing from those settings and they might come to serious harm while away?

And maybe it’s not just about what happens when someone leaves or goes missing. What is happening before then? If this is happening more than 20,000 times each year, what is being done to prevent people from going missing from healthcare settings? Do we know who is most high risk? Are we giving people the opportunity and help to stay safe?

What have we done so far?

In 2018 we supported the APPG Inquiry into safeguarding missing adults who have mental health issues. The report put a spotlight on issues in the health and police response to missing from hospitals, and subsequently we led the development of a Framework for Multi-agency response for adults missing from health and care settings, which was published in 2020. This Framework sets out good practice in planning, prevention and response when someone goes missing from a healthcare setting.

However, the Framework has not been widely implemented. There is very little oversight of whether hospitals, NHS trusts, police forces, or wider safeguarding partnerships are working effectively to respond to these missing people.

Tragically this leaves people to fall through the gaps. Earlier this year we published a review of Prevention of Future Death Reports from Coroners, and Safeguarding Adults Reviews, which identified 21 people who had died after going missing from hospital. The review acknowledged failures in multi-agency working and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of each agency as a key theme in many of these deaths.

Without improving national guidance on missing from hospital, there is a risk that even more people will die. People who were supposed to be kept safe by health services and police.

What next?

To better understand these issues, it is vital that we hear more from the people who have actual lived experience: people with experience of mental ill-health, distress and trauma, who have been reported missing from healthcare settings. They should be at the centre of any developments in policy and practice affecting others facing similar circumstances in the future.

We hope in the coming months to work with formerly missing people to shape next steps in this area, and to ultimately improve the support that people receive when they are at risk of going missing, when they leave healthcare settings unexpectedly, and when the police are called.

If you are interested in this work and would like to get in touch, please email josie.allan@missingpeople.org.uk.

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Pascale is the daughter of Aline Penon who went missing in France on 3 May 2013. 

I recently had the opportunity to attend and present on preventative measures for missing people with Alzheimers and dementia with Josie Allan at the International Conference on Missing People, United by Hope, organised by the association QSD Global in Seville, Spain.  Spain has a particular place in my heart as my grandparents were Spanish, and while my Spanish is very rusty, everyone was very patient and welcoming.

Photos: Panel discussion with families and professionals on how to prevent people with Alzheimers and dementia from going missing

As we arrived in Spain a week after catastrophic floods decimated the east of Spain, our thoughts were with the families that had lost their loved ones and were still searching for them. The conference was looking at best practice, prevention, research, and emotional support for families of missing people, which couldn’t have come at a better time.

The event started with a social event for the families of missing people, followed by two very packed days of conference. QSD Global had put together a very interesting programme gathering emergency services, charities, the national police, the press and families of missing people from Spain, Italy, France, the UK, and Mexico.

Celebrating our loved ones missing and coming together is heart-warming

Spanish families also shared a ritual like our Evening of Hope and Remembrance, I was very touched that they also included my mum’s photo.

Photo: Remembrance for the 70 family members present and flamenco singing

The pain of missing a loved one has no frontier

The anguish of missing a loved one knows no bounds. It was heartbreaking to hear that families of missing persons in Spain are suffering in the same way that UK families are, as evidenced by their stories and the mental health research studies presented. However, we frequently forget that we, families must also care for ourselves, as the ramifications of our loss can be devastating to our emotional and physical health. We mustn’t hesitate to seek psychological help for ourselves, our children, and our families and attend to our health. One good practice I would like to see implemented in the UK is for the health service to have dedicated mental health units for families of missing people and their loved ones.

Using art, and creative ways helps process emotions

Part of the planned activity for families was to weave the tapestry of our emotions by identifying our top 10 emotions in group work, allocating a colour to each and threading them together.

What the activity allowed was to discuss these emotions, allow those who were uncomfortable with naming them to reflect on it with a supportive group and to visualise them as a symbol and acknowledgement of their journey thus far.

Photos: Creative activities with the families

The experience of families of missing people in Spain is not that different from ours, in the UK

I was very impacted by the stories told by families. What saddens me the most is realising that families in Spain, as well as those in Italy, Mexico, France and England, must fight for justice, not to be ignored, among other issues.

How could this be? How is it possible that relatives of missing persons are still being overlooked in so many countries?

We need to fight together for our rights internationally

People should not be discussing our courage or hope. It must be stated unequivocally that the families of missing persons are routinely ignored by those countries’ legal systems and law enforcement agencies. Negligence can have devastating consequences for children, individuals, communities, and future generations. We rely on organisations to help us, but they can betray our trust and cause trauma.
What society should provide for all is safety, fairness, trust in institutions, professionalism, humanism, and empathy…

For me, this conference marked a watershed event. It confirmed the need to organise our flight together across Europe.

There is more that unites our experience across Europe than divides us

I’m excited to continue exploring these ideas in my current research which aims to improve awareness of our experience within the health and mental health sectors so they can better support us.

If you would like to participate in an interview and an art therapeutic group, please contact me at pascale.waschnig@uwl.ac.uk

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This new research, carried out by ListenUp and Missing People, aims to explore Black children and their families’ lived experiences of going missing, to try to better understand:  

1. Why are Black children more likely to go missing than other children?  
2. Why are Black children more likely to be missing for longer than other children?  
3. What response are Black children and families receiving from professionals, and does this differ from the response other children and families receive?   

The focus of this research has been on hearing the voices of children and young people themselves, as well as parents of children who have been missing. The report includes quotes directly from interviews and focus groups, to ensure their direct views and experiences are centred in our understanding of these issues, and in recommendations for improving the response in future. 

Key findings 

1. Reasons for missing: Exploitation and conflict or problems at home are common drivers of missing incidents for all children, however, our research found that these risks may be particularly pronounced for Black children. A lack of a sense of belonging or identity was seen to increase vulnerability to going missing. 
2. Lack of value and care: Black young people consistently reported feeling undervalued compared to their White peers. Poor media representation further exacerbates this issue, as Black missing children receive less attention and care. 
3. Racism: Racial biases against Black children and their families impact risk assessments and safeguarding responses. Black children are often stereotyped, adultified and criminalised, hindering their access to necessary support. 
4. Trust in Services: Many Black families lack trust in services, including the police. Firsthand experiences of racism and indifference contribute to this lack of confidence. 

“My White friends who went missing had lots of people looking for them, but my cousin who’s Black was missing for a week and it felt like no-one was looking for him.”

– Young person

Read the report

Read the full report or executive summary below. 

Read the full report   Read the executive summary

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The moment when a child returns can be particularly important – they might be exhausted, angry, have been a victim of harm while away, or experiencing any of a hundred other emotions. However, parents often don’t know how to best respond. They might be feeling angry themselves, might not know how to speak to their child about what has happened, or might not understand what is happening for their child.

Download the Guidance

We have worked with the NWG to develop guidance for any professionals who will have contact with the parents of a missing child. This guidance will help professionals to explore with parents how they are going to respond when their child comes back, and how they can best look after themselves and their child.

The post New Guidance: Preparing parents for their child’s return from missing appeared first on Missing People.

People who have been missing, and families of missing people, have long spoken out about the need for clearer guidance on what happens when someone is reported missing to the police. These 13 principles, developed with those who have been missing or reported a loved one missing, set out what everyone should be able to expect from the police. 

We hope these principles will help people to understand what should happen if they are reported missing or report someone as missing, and ensure a consistent response for everyone. 

Police forces have been asked to ensure they follow the Principles in every missing person investigation.  

If you have experience of going missing or a loved one going missing and don’t think you have had the response you should have, please call, text or email our free helpline on 116 000. We can talk to you about what’s happened and help you decide your next steps.  

The National Police Chief’s Council Lead for Missing People, DCC Hankinson, supports the introduction of these principles: 

“The NPCC is committed to improving the police and partnership response to missing people.  This can be a distressing and worrying time for families because of the uncertainty over what has happened to their loved one or because of the risks the missing person may face.  With over 900 reports of missing people each day, the police must carefully assess the circumstances of each incident to ensure police resources are focused on safeguarding the most vulnerable whilst respecting people’s right to go missing.  This document sets out what families and the public are entitled to expect from the police when a person is reported missing.  Keeping families informed and being open and honest about the investigation is an important aspect of every missing person investigation.” 

The Principles 

Join the campaign for the Principles 

Please consider writing to your Police and Crime Commissioner to make sure they prioritise these principles. The police need the resources and capacity to deliver a supportive response for every missing people and their family. 

Or you can share why you think we need the Principles on social media. By speaking up you can help to ensure every missing person and their family get the response they deserve. 

For police forces 

If you want to discuss your force commitment to the Principles please email partnerships@missingpeople.org.uk.  

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The findings raised significant concerns: the data showed that people from Black and Asian communities were missing for longer, less likely to be found by the police, and less likely to be recorded as being at risk, than White people. The statistics were particularly stark for Black children and adults.  

The statistics made national headlines when they were first published, with coverage on Good Morning Britain, and articles in a range of outlets including the Guardian, the Independent, and ITV News. The headlines acknowledged the ‘concerning race disparities’ and the need for these to urgently be addressed.  

How much has changed since we published the report? 

We have seen some success on the report’s recommendations (although it’s likely any changes are not solely due to the report, but brought about by a range of factors):  

• The Department for Education has begun publishing ethnicity data in their statistics about Looked After Children, allowing for better scrutiny of any disparities in the experiences or safeguarding of children from ethnic minorities. 
• Some police forces have improved how they record ethnicity in missing person incidents, and the National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Person Unit are planning to publish more detailed data on ethnicity. 
• A handful of police forces have carried out their own deep-dive reviews to explore disparities in their area and started planning how to address them and improve responses. 

These are important steps in monitoring the issue and will allow for more accountability. However, we know simply improving data collection is not enough. We need tangible actions to ensure change and create a more equitable response for all missing children and adults. 

Lived experiences informing change 

The Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) is a vital tool for generating this change. For the first time in a national police document, the PRAP acknowledged the need for police to improve their response to missing Black people as a key area of focus. In September last year the team behind the Plan asked Missing Black People and Missing People to facilitate a learning event for police colleagues to hear directly from the families of missing people from Black communities, including hearing about some of their experiences of discrimination: 

“But actually when we were on the ground looking for her one night at [the train] station and I went up to British Transport Police. I showed them a picture of my sister and said that we are looking for a missing person. And the police officer, a White woman, just looked at the picture. Glanced at it. And said I am sorry we are looking for another girl. And the other girl is a high-risk missing person. I said if you had bothered to read the flyer my sister is reported officially missing. Can’t you look for two people at once? It turns out the other girl they were looking for was obviously white. It was interesting how quickly they dismissed me.” 

“They diminished me I found later because of my accent and because of my colour.” 

“Over time it was apparent that there was not much interest in those of colour going missing. And why do I say that? My son’s friend who was the humblest child on the planet had gone missing. His parents reported him missing. I reported him missing because I knew he was in touch with my son. When he did appear again, in the community, again no one was interested. He was murdered in cold blood and affected by child criminal exploitation as well. He wasn’t searched for locally neither.” 

“It was not taken seriously at the beginning… The brother and the friend both come from other countries. English is not their first language. They would not take it seriously… Because they are not fully practicing the way of speaking to the police. They are not able to push in the right ways for the police to take action. It is sad when we have to learn a certain language to push people.” 

“What has colour got to do with it? This is my question. It has to stop.” 

These stories of people’s lived experience have been the primary catalyst for change. Following that learning event the PRAP team have scheduled four workshops, to take place throughout 2024, for all police forces. Each workshop will consider an area of disparity or discrimination, and most vitally, will focus on what action can be taken to ensure improvements. The findings will be used to develop pilot projects and national recommendations for all forces to adopt. 

New research  

While this work within the police progresses, we still know much more needs to be understood about Black people’s experiences of missing, and importantly within that: how to better prevent the disproportionate number of people from Black communities going missing, and how to provide better support if someone does go. In light of this we are working with ListenUp on new research into the experiences of Black missing children. 

This research will explore any unique drivers that cause Black children to go missing, what the response from professionals and the media looks like for them, and what could improve things in the future. 

Share your experiences or views 

We want to hear from Black young people who have been missing; from their parents and carers; and from the professionals who work with these young people. 

We have two surveys: 

• For children and young people (16-25)
• For parents, carers or professionals

If you want to talk to us in more detail about the research, or take part in an interview please email josie.allan@missingpeople.org.uk.  

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Unaccompanied children are some of those most at risk of going missing, and of staying missing long-term. These children will often already be vulnerable upon their arrival due to whatever drove them to leave their home country, and due to trauma they will likely have experienced on the journey. Going missing puts them at even greater risk as they may face serious harms, like trafficking and exploitation, and be hidden from help and support.

It is vital all professionals who have contact with unaccompanied children play a part in preventing them from going missing, and in safeguarding those who do go.

Missing People, in partnership with The Children’s Society, have developed this good practice guidance to help professionals better support these young people.

The guidance includes:

• Why unaccompanied children go missing
• What professionals can do to prevent unaccompanied children from going missing, including considering:
  • Placement suitability and security
  • Understanding the child and helping them to stay safe and thrive
  • Disrupting trafficking and exploitation
  • Support with asylum processes and preparation for transition into adulthood
  • Returning from missing (and preventing further incidents)
• How professionals can work with children to prepare them to stay safer if they do go missing, including:
  • Preparing for an effective missing investigation
  • Preparing with the child to help them stay safe
• What can help the investigation if an unaccompanied child does go missing

The good practice in the guidance was collected through interviews and focus groups with professionals from a range of different agencies working with unaccompanied children across the country. Their collective expertise has been collated into advice for practitioners, as well as case studies and examples of effective practice and services.

The guidance is likely to be useful to professionals from local authorities, police, foster and residential care, education, third sector, and a range of other agencies.

For a summary of the key findings and recommendations contained in the good practice guidance, please click here.

The introduction and enactment of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 is likely to increase the risk of some unaccompanied children going missing. Unaccompanied children face increased risks of going missing, but it should never be considered inevitable. Child-centred practice, across all relevant agencies, can help to ensure young people are made safer and given the opportunity to thrive.

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Key findings include:

• Missing children from Black or Asian communities are less likely to be recorded as being at risk due to their mental health or being at risk of exploitation than White missing children. This suggests that risks may be being under-identified for children from Black and Asian communities due to adultification.
• Black children were the most likely to be missing for over 48 hours and over 7 days.
• Black looked after children are over-represented in missing reports: While 7% of looked after children are Black, 10% of all children who are looked after and go missing are Black.

This is a multi-agency issue and the findings relate to a range of agencies including the police, children’s services, education and health, amongst others. The report sets out a number of recommendations including the need for local authorities and police forces to review the picture in their area.

Local Reviews

The report recommends that: All police forces and local authorities should review their own data in order to identify disproportionality and potential discriminatory practice in their area.

• This should include a review of missing incidents and individuals broken down by ethnicity, and also a review of the ethnicity of missing people broken down by risk levels, outcomes, length of time missing, and who finds the missing person.
• The review should also involve a deep dive into case records to explore any reasons for disparity in the data. Within the review, a particular focus should be given to risk identification and recording, with senior leaders considering whether any bias, adultification or other discrimination is indicated. In order to maintain objectivity, this should be done alongside external agencies, which could include Missing People and Listen Up.
• All local authorities and police forces should use their local area findings to develop a publicly accessible, actions-based plan in response to their review and deep dive. Specific actions to counter any disproportionality or discrimination should be included in any published plan.
• Local partnerships should work together to understand the picture of risk facing individuals or whole communities in their area, and how this may relate to ethnicity, ensuring that there is a common understanding of risk that is consistent across multi-agency systems.

We are asking all areas to complete this deep dive into the local picture in their area. National data can help to identify issues, but it is only at a local level that agencies can really understand where the disparities are emerging for them, and whether there is evidence of bias or discrimination in any decision-making that contributes to those disparities. Most importantly agencies need to understand their local picture so they can identify what action can be taken to ensure equality in response and support provided to those who need it.

New research into the experiences of Black missing children

ListenUp and Missing People are now carrying out further research to explore more than just the data. They are hoping to better understand the experiences of Black missing children, including any unique drivers for them going missing, any risks that the Black community specifically might be facing, and their experience of the response from the police and other professionals. They will be carrying out interviews with previously missing children, but are also collecting evidence through surveys for young people, their parents, and the professionals who work with them.

Please help with this research by completing or sharing the following surveys with anyone who might be interested in contributing.

Survey for Black young people (16-25)

Survey for parents, carers and professionals who have reported a Black child as missing, or worked with Black children who have been reported missing

Police learning event: Sharing the Experiences of Black Missing People and their Families

On 27 September Missing People and Missing Black People are supporting an online event where the police will listen to, and learn from, the experiences of people from Black communities who have previously been reported missing, and from families who have had a loved one go missing. The National Police Race Action Plan has identified the need for police to respond better to missing Black people, and as a first step, they know they need to hear from those with lived experience.

If you would like to share your experience by joining the event, pre-recording a video or voice note, or writing a statement to be shared on the day (this can be done anonymously), please contact josie.allan@missingpeople.org.uk or info@missingblackpeople.com for more information about the event.

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