Missing Children - Return Conversation Volunteer (Next Training April '26).

This role will involve a volunteer making contact to arrange conversations with children and young people who return from being missing, within 72 hours of their return.

When a Hampshire child or young person goes missing, Children's Services will, upon their return, offer them a conversation. Guidance states this interview should be done by an independent person (not a social worker or other professional already involved with the child). 

Return conversations need to be completed within 72 hours of a child’s return from missing. Meetings may take place in a variety of settings including: the child’s home, foster care address, residential care setting, or other agreed local venue.

Return conversations are an important part of safeguarding and can help to put things in place to make sure children do not go missing in the future.

A volunteer coordinator who works to support local volunteers will liaise with volunteers to make arrangements for the return conversation to take place.

Could you train to become a Return from Missing Conversations volunteer?

Following full training and with ongoing support volunteers will contact and arrange conversations with children and young people who return from being missing within 72 hours of their return. Conversations may take place at the child's foster care address, residential care setting or other agreed local venue.

The Volunteer will:

• Receive the details from the volunteer coordinator about the return conversation.
• Contact the child/family to make arrangements for the conversation.
• Meet the child/young person to conduct the conversation and complete the standard form.
• Agree any follow on actions with the child/young person/family/carer.
• Feedback and return the completed conversation form to the volunteer coordinator.

Some children who go missing will be placed outside of Hampshire, if volunteers are willing and able they will conduct return conversations for these children. All expenses will be paid.

Because these are one off pieces of work, the time commitment for this opportunity is flexible volunteers can opt to give a couple of hours as and when, or a fuller commitment. 

All volunteers receive full training – including one day of face-to-face induction training;  online safeguarding training and role-specific training - to enable them to fulfil their role. Our next induction training date is Monday 13th April in Winchester.

Watch a film about our volunteering service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_wY0yZasIo 

Skills

Full training and support will be provided therefore previous experience is not essential.

We are seeking volunteers who feel able to:

• Establish good relationships within a short space of time, to communicate and ensure children and families, with varied levels of ability, understand information and feel able to respond.
• Listen and remain calm and impartial when dealing with families.
• Record information.
• Respect differing views of individuals and work in a non judgmental way.
• Respect confidentiality and the agreed information sharing process.
• Have the confidence to report concerns to their Volunteer Coordinator.
• Be able to describe their role and maintain professional boundaries.
  
• Roles are based across the area therefore access to own transport is desirable.

Volunteers must be 18+.

Training dates for volunteers are released throughout the year and occur roughly quarterly.