Council To Impliment Framework For families Of Missing People

Gordon Macdonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, is calling on the Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council to implement the National Missing Persons Framework for Scotland.

The Scottish Government launched this new framework in April 2017 which included guidance on support for families, as well as laying out responsibilities for professionals to support missing children and adults.

According to the missing persons’ charity, Missing People, the framework’s success will depend on local partnerships taking forward the recommendations. The recommendations included in the framework rely on joint working, sharing information, and agreed divisions of responsibility.

Commenting SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon Macdonald, said, “In 2017/18, 3,324 people went missing in Edinburgh alone. Almost two thirds of these reports related to children and young people – who are at risk of grooming, exploitation, and abuse - and half of them have been from the care system.

“The families and friends of missing people are faced with both emotional and practical challenges, which only get worse as time goes on. This framework calls for emotional, practical and legal support to be made available to people who have been missing and their families. If implemented by local authorities, the framework could have significant impact on the wellbeing of missing people and their families.”