Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I just begin by thanking Llyr for bringing forward this debate today, and also for outlining the challenges ahead, as well as some of the good work that is going on, and putting it forward with calmness and consideration, but also with passion for actually meeting these challenges and seeking improvements within this field? And equally the points raised by my colleagues: Dawn Bowden referring to the good work on a multi-agency basis on the ground in Gwent already, and what lessons we can learn from that, which I'll turn back to in a moment; and also David Melding, who, of course, as colleagues will know, chairs the ministerial advisory group on the outcomes of children. This is an area that I know that that advisory group are looking at as well, to bring forward the improvements that have been referred to. So, can I thank them all for bringing this debate to this Chamber here today?

Let me touch on some of the issues. I'm going to go through in detail as well some of the ways that we think are the ways forward. I am, as David Melding has referred to, stepping into some quite big boots here, after the leadership of Carl Sargeant within this area.

Well, first of all, as we know, the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 came into force last year. At the heart of this Act is working with people to achieve what matters to them—better use of preventative services. This will have more of an impact on a person's life chances, and it allows us to use those resources to help more people. I'm very aware, as Members are, that every missing episode carries with it the potential for a child to come to serious harm in a number of ways. The reasons for why children go missing are varied, they're complex, they're unique to each situation and each individual child, but we know, when a child goes missing, they may be exposed to a range of emotional, physical and sexual risks as well. So, it is very important that agencies work together, when a child goes missing, to share information and to provide a rapid response so that the child can first be located and made safe as soon as possible.

The way in which we respond to children following a missing episode is also very important. We need a proportionate approach, and an approach that is focused on the child, in each incident when a child goes missing, which considers their individual needs and whether there are well-being, care, support, child protection issues that need to be addressed. I’m pleased to say that my officials, under the leadership of my predecessor, Carl Sargeant, have been involved in a period of very active engagement with front-line service providers who work with children who go missing. The work has helped us better understand the real issues on the ground, to ensure that our policy response is a really informed one that fully understands the landscape as it currently exists in Wales, and what we can do better. So, I have agreed to fund work to gather the views of children themselves—that is critical—so that their experience and their opinions about the decisions that are made about them inform the policies we now develop to keep them safe.

The Welsh Government has also provided funding to the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Regional Safeguarding Children Board to review and develop national protection procedures for Wales on behalf of ADSS Cymru, and in consultation with regional safeguarding boards. The Welsh Government is also supporting this through the facilitation of work with multi-agency groups to develop national practice guidance on specific safeguarding issues, to be used in conjunction with the national protection procedures. This important piece of work is expected to be fully complete by December 2018. It’s ongoing now; now is the time to feed in the ideas.

At the heart of this work is my commitment to move away from a process-driven approach to safeguarding and ticking boxes to a clear person-centred approach in line with the intent of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. So, a multi-agency task and finish group has been established, under the ministerial advisory group of improving outcomes for children, to consider such an approach in relation to children missing from home or care. This group is developing national practice guidance, to be used in conjunction with the national protection procedures. The national practice guidance on children missing from home or care will support a consistent and proportionate approach to every child who goes missing in Wales, and this will include arrangements for every child to have their need for information, advice and assistance considered in a proportionate way that also promotes their well-being.

Now, some children and their families will benefit from information and advice about preventative services. Some children may need to have their care and support needs assessed, and some children will also need a wrap-around child-protection plan. Those with existing plans may need these reviewed after an episode of going missing. This specific issue of going missing, we can agree, has to be addressed through a multi-agency strategy meeting, where required, that will inform a child-centred assessment, planning or review response, dependent on the well-being and safeguarding needs of that individual child. I’m aware, as the Member has said, that he is a signatory to a letter from the Children’s Society, which raises a number of issues relating to missing children that I’d like to address. By the way, I’m happy to meet as well and to discuss it.

On the issue of proactive data sharing with the police, I’m pleased to say that South Wales Police, as David Melding has already mentioned, are providing dedicated time, working in consultation with the other three forces in Wales, to develop a process for the recording and sharing of information needed for the police to risk-assess individual children in care, should they go missing. This will be considered as part of the work of practice guidance on children missing from home or care. I can give you that assurance.