Young person missing from council's care 'found in Germany'

The individual, referred to in a report for Redcar and Cleveland Council members, was located by international criminal police organisation Interpol.

The report, providing an update on children in the local authority’s care during April to June and those deemed to be vulnerable, gave few other details, other than to say that authorities in Germany had declared the individual to be an adult. Overall, in June, there were 354 children in the council’s care – the highest number since May 2020 when there were 360.

The majority of children are placed with in-house foster carers organised by the council, followed by family and friends carers, independent foster carers and a smaller number in residential settings.

A total of 63.8 per cent were living within the borough, while 36.2 per cent were placed in care in other areas. Meanwhile, 147 young people who had left care continued to access council support, of which 34 had been in the unaccompanied asylum seeking children category. Ninety two from the 147 were now in education, training or employment.

In addition, six care leavers were undertaking apprenticeships with the council and one had secured full-time employment with the local authority. The report described a “worry” about the rising cost associated with care placements for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. A national transfer scheme funds local councils to look after children in this category, but numbers are capped in each area.

The report said the threshold level had been increased by the Government, meaning the council would be allotted a further seven young people on top of the 19 it already looked after.

It also revealed how many children in Redcar and Cleveland at the end of June were subject to vulnerable, missing, exploited and trafficked procedures (VEMT) – 26, of which 11 were in the council’s care.

It said: “A number within the VEMT cohort have been identified as being involved in, or at serious risk of, criminal exploitation. We are aware that this is a local and national issue alongside worries in relation to sexual exploitation and the risk that young people are trafficked.”