Children Missing Service: Return Home Interviews

Buckinghamshire Council is undertaking a preliminary market engagement exercise prior to tendering for services for the provision of Children Missing Service: Return Home Interviews.

Buckinghamshire Council has a statutory responsibility to offer an independent Return Home Interview (RHI) when a child goes missing from home or care, and this should take place within 72 hours of the child safely returning home. The purpose of the RHI is to uncover information that can help reduce the risk of the child going missing again and protect them from risks they may have been exposed to while missing or from risk factors in their home.

The current commissioned service delivers RHIs with children 10 - 18 years (21 if there is a learning disability). Thames Valley Police lead on supporting children aged under 10 as they are deemed to be high risk. The current service delivers RHIs for children who are the responsibility of Buckinghamshire Council and are resident in Buckinghamshire or living within 20 miles of Buckinghamshire, as well as co-ordinating RHIs for Buckinghamshire Looked After Children who reside beyond 20 miles of Buckinghamshire.

This RFI will inform the Council about the current provision of these services, the current supplier market, and possible commissioning approaches.

The information obtained from this exercise may be used to inform the Council's approach to any procurement process it undertakes for the delivery of these services.

As such, this notice does not formally signify the beginning of a procurement process and does not constitute commitment to undertake a procurement exercise. In the event that the Council decides to commence a formal procurement exercise a separate Contract Notice will be issued.