Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Missing People sometimes require shift-workers?

People work at Missing People to make a difference. We sometimes use zero hour contracts to allow flexibility on both sides, where we are not obligated to offer work and conversely, the contracted employee is not obligated to accept work. Whilst most of our helpline team are employed in part time or full time posts, an example of when we use these contracts is to help us cover our 24/7 helpline service.  Often, flexible working fits around the employee's other commitments. Sometimes we need staff to cover at short notice or to work flexibly, like supply teachers. In these roles, our amazing bank staff know it helps us run our service. We don’t ask people to turn up and then send them home and we don’t expect them to work exclusively with us. We keep the dialogue open, ensuring this agreement works for both sides.

How long does it take to find a missing person?

It is possible that you may see appeals on our website, social media feeds or digital billboards for a missing adult or child who you think or know has been found. This could be for one of the following reasons:

 

- The charity only launches or removes appeals for missing people when requested to do so by the police. In instances where we become aware through the media or social media, that someone we are appealing for has been found, we contact the police for confirmation before removing the appeal across our networks. Whilst this process ensures that we have the correct information, it can sometimes take a little time.

- It may be that the missing adult or child who we are appealing for has been missing and found in the past and then gone missing again. If you have seen information online or elsewhere reporting that they have been found, this may refer to a different occasion when they have been missing. It is not unusual for someone who has been missing in the past to go missing again. For example, A recent research project showed that over half of young people who went missing had done so more than once, with 22% having gone missing three time or more.

If you need to report someone as being missing, please contact us on 116 000 immediately.

 

The charity does not publicise appeals for missing people without going through a number of steps to ensure the accuracy of the information and that it is safe to publicise their disappearance. We know that our supporters and online audience share the appeals we post because they trust that this process has been carried out and that any publicity is in the best interests of the missing person. When we are asked to share appeals that we are not currently publicising, there is no way to guarantee these details, the identity of the person requesting support, or that publicity is appropriate. We encourage our followers and supporters to like, share and retweet these specific feeds so that when the missing person is found, we can remove their appeal and respect that person’s privacy. Posts made directly by others cannot be automatically withdrawn in the same way. 

 

When possible, if we are asked to share appeals for missing people that we are not currently publicising but which may fit our remit, we will pass along details of how the charity can provide support and publicity.  Please note, we are unable to provide publicity appeals for missing people without the consent of the police and we can only publicise appeals for missing people who are missing in the UK or for UK nationals who are missing abroad.

The charity does not share appeals for through social media or on missingpeople.org.uk without gaining permission from the police. We ask you to be equally conscientious about sharing appeals not issued by Missing People or the Police where the provenance is unclear.

In the UK, there are four main ways of joining the search through verified sources:
1. Your local police force website or Twitter/Facebook account
2. The Missing People website, Twitter or Facebook pages
3. The CEOP command of the National Crime Agency who host the Missing Kids website (all appeals fed directly by the Missing People gallery)
4. Child Rescue Alert which is the national alerting system used to quickly alert the public to an extremely high risk missing child 

All of these sources come with the assurance that:

• The person is actually missing (and not being looked for by a person who may be abusing them)
• The certainty that the family/carer/next of kin has given consent to media being done (except in very exceptional circumstances when police will override this)
• The reassurance that the appeal is being shared having first considered if it's in the best interest of the missing person

My relative has gone missing abroad. Can you help?

We can give you advice regarding other organisations and international agencies that may be able to help. Additionally, we may be able to put an appeal for your relative on our website. Find out more.

Can someone from Missing People give a talk about your work?

Missing People partners with the National Crime Agency to provide missingkids.com and to enable families to be referred to us for support. This also means that we can host online appeals for most of those missing in the UK at missingpeople.org.uk

Through the charity’s formal police partnerships and professionally run 24 hour helpline we are able to remove and update appeals at the request of families and the police. This avoids upset if someone has actually been found safe and well (or sadly found dead) and ensures credibility of the information.

We are therefore not able to endorse other sites. 

I have been contacted by an unofficial support group, what should I do?  

Occasionally the charity is made aware of people with an interest in missing persons who offer ‘support’ (in person, by phone or online) to families they don’t know. This type of involvement can lead to emotional harm to the family in question, and those offering the ‘support’, as often, the boundaries are not clear and the ‘support’ is not professional. 

If you have a missing loved one, and are concerned about someone contacting you offering support and help, please contact your dedicated support worker, or our helpline on 116 000 (free, 24/7). 

Anyone offering support independently is asked to make it clear on all materials they produce that they are not associated with the charity Missing People. 

I am a third party (charity, organisation, media, school, community group). Can I promote your 116 000 helpline?  

We want people affected by ‘missing’ to know that our services are here for them, so we welcome any efforts to promote the helpline. If you are able to do this, we ask that you acknowledge that the charity Missing People is the helpline provider and include our key information (free, confidential, 24 hour). 

Our helpline number can only be displayed with appeals for missing people (i.e. to encourage public information and sightings) when the appeal is provided by the police or the charity. This ensures that potentially valuable information gets to the right place. 

Will you endorse my Missing/Child Safety Product?

Missing People does not promote or endorse products to help in the search for missing children, other than its own and those of our partners. Unfortunately we are unable to reply to individual requests.