Missing Children Return Home Conversation Service

Buckinghamshire Council is recommissioning its Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service to support children and young people aged 10-17 who have been reported missing. The service provider will deliver independent Return Home Conversations within 72 hours of a child returning home, as required by statutory guidance. The service will identify safeguarding concerns, exploitation, and unmet needs while supporting actions to reduce repeat missing episodes. The provider will also deliver Missing Interventions for children experiencing repeat or persistent missing, emerging vulnerabilities, or unmet needs. The provider must work within a multi-agency framework, share insights to inform safeguarding and prevention activities, and manage Return Home Conversations for Buckinghamshire children placed outside the county. The contract runs for three years initially, with options to extend for up to two additional one-year periods, totalling a maximum of five years.