Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a provider to deliver its Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service, supporting children and young people following missing episodes. The service will help identify safeguarding concerns, exploitation, unmet needs and factors contributing to missing behaviour, with the aim of improving safety and reducing repeat missing episodes.

The service will provide independent Return Home Conversations for eligible children aged 10–17, including Buckinghamshire children looked after who are placed outside the county. Conversations should normally take place within 72 hours of the child returning home or to their care setting.

Contract Information

• Buyer: Buckinghamshire Council
• Deadline: 19 November 2026, 12:00pm
• Contract Value: £0 including VAT (as stated in the supplied notice; the actual contract value is not disclosed)
• Delivery Length: 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030, with the option to extend for up to two further one-year periods, until 31 March 2032 (maximum five years)
• Tender Reference: Not disclosed
• Tender Link: Buckinghamshire Council In-Tend Portal
• Award Criteria: Quality – 70%; Price – 30%
• Award Decision Date: 21 December 2026
• Contract Location: Buckinghamshire, including arrangements for eligible children placed outside the county
• Procurement Procedure: Open procedure
• Contact: Donna Plastow
• Contact Email: procurement@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

The service is expected to work with children and young people following missing episodes and provide targeted interventions where repeat missing behaviour, vulnerabilities or unmet needs are identified.

Supplier Requirements

Providers must be able to deliver independent Return Home Conversations and Missing Interventions for eligible children and young people aged 10–17, including those experiencing repeat or persistent missing episodes, emerging vulnerabilities or unmet needs.

The service will be required to:

• Identify safeguarding concerns, exploitation risks and factors contributing to missing episodes.
• Support the identification and implementation of actions to improve safety and reduce repeat missing behaviour.
• Work within a multi-agency framework, informing safeguarding, prevention, contextual safeguarding and partnership responses.
• Deliver or secure out-of-county Return Home Conversations, including managing and quality assuring subcontracted provision or arrangements with host local authorities where applicable.
• Use information gathered through service delivery to inform strategic insight and disruption activity.

The full service specification and any additional participation requirements should be checked in the tender documents.

Commercial Relevance

This opportunity may be relevant to organisations specialising in children’s safeguarding, missing-from-home services, exploitation prevention and independent return home interviews. Providers with experience coordinating multi-agency safeguarding responses and arranging support across local authority boundaries may wish to review the tender documents before submitting a bid.

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