Safe and Found Online (SAFO) launches
The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme used by Norfolk & Suffolk Police and other agencies which encourages carers to compile useful information that could be used in the event of an adult going missing. Someone close to the person (family member, friend, or carer) fills in the form, recording all vital details such as required medication, mobile numbers, places previously located, a photograph, etc. In the event of an adult going missing, the form can be shared with the police to reduce the time taken in gathering this information and inform the investigation to locate them more quickly, safeguard them more effectively, and return them to safety before any harm can come to them.
"Following the launch of the Herbert Protocol on 20 September 2024, we are delighted to have been part of the journey to bring the Safe and Found online digitalisation of the Herbert Protocol to Norfolk and Suffolk. This development makes good use of digital technology to streamline the process; it increases accessibility while keeping the information secure, supporting those living with dementia and others who may have a need for this process."
Heather Roach (Independent Chair Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board) & Anthony Douglas (Independent Chair Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership)
Norfolk Police now supports the use of the Safe and Found Online system - an online portal which allows carers and families of people living with dementia to provide important information online to assist police in the event they go missing.
Safe and Found Online is a digital version of the Herbert Protocol paper form and assists police in locating vulnerable missing people, launched in Norfolk and Suffolk on 10 March 2025.
Whilst Safe and Found Online is very similar to the Herbert Protocol form in storing key information on an individual, unlike the paper forms or computer files the current Herbert Protocol process utilises, the new digital Safe and Found Online system allows creators of the profiles to regularly update a profile with new and relevant information.
The information stored within the online portal includes:
- Known/previous locations
- Necessary medication
- Photographs
- Mobile numbers
The online profile can be created by a person living with dementia, family member or care giver.
Once a profile is submitted, it can be accessed by control room screens and officers' devices immediately, allowing for searches to commence without delay, increasing the chances of a successful outcome.
Visit the Safe and Found Online website to find out more and register a profile.
We also have a poster you can print off, and a graphic for social media too, on our Herbert protocol page.
Published