Hampshire police praised for child protection work but told to improve in new report

POLICE have been praised for their commitment to child protection but told improvements were still needed, according to a new report.
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Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) commended Hampshire Constabulary for how it investigates child abuse, its welfare of children in custody, and how it responds when children at higher risk of harm are reported missing.

However, HMICFRS said the force needs to improve - with the authority insisting it would take on board the recommendations.

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The report said police needed to respond to incidents faster when there is a risk to children.

It was also told to share information with partners sooner in online abuse investigations; and to improve its systems and processes for managing those who pose a risk to children.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: ‘Hampshire Constabulary’s senior leaders are clearly committed to child protection, and they have good oversight of how well officers carry out their work.

‘We found many examples of good work by frontline officers responding to incidents involving children. The force is good at working with other organisations, such as schools and social care services, to keep children safe.

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‘But there is more work to do to provide better outcomes for vulnerable children in Hampshire, including how the force manages people who pose a risk to children, and responding to incidents quickly when children are at risk.

‘We are encouraged by how Hampshire Constabulary worked with us on this inspection and its speed in addressing our areas of concern. We will continue to work closely with the force to monitor its progress.’

Assistant chief constable of Hampshire police Craig Dibdin, said: ‘Protecting children is one of the most important things that policing does and HMICFRS’s findings recognise our full commitment to child protection and getting better outcomes for children.

‘Our child centred policing strategy puts protecting young people and children at the heart of everything we do. It is especially welcome that the commitment and dedication of our officers and staff in an increasingly complex and demanding environment is acknowledged.’

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He went on to say how important it was to support officers and staff investigating child protection issues, which can ‘often be some of the most traumatic cases that we deal with’.

He added: ‘Tackling such complex issues is, of course, not something we can do on our own and we will continue to build on the strong relationships with our safeguarding partners to address the recommendations made in the report to ensure those most at risk within our communities are given care and support they need.

‘We take the findings of this report and the recommendations seriously and I am pleased that it acknowledges the progress we have already made to address them and the chief officer oversight we have in place to monitor these improvements.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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