Supporting child protection
and abuse investigation
About the
Hydrant Programme
The Hydrant Programme is a national policing programme supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Child Protection and Abuse Investigation Working Group. Originally established in 2014 to coordinate the response to non-recent child sexual abuse, but now supporting forces across all child protection and abuse investigation issues.
Hydrant develops policy and strategy on behalf of the NPCC, develops and delivers best practice advice including a learning, review and improvement function, provides a strategic analysis capability and partnership engagement with key stakeholders and partners.
What we offer
A Peer Review, Peer Support, CPD and Debrief function working across all elements of child abuse and child protection, which forces can access at no cost.
A Partnership Hub which supports key stakeholders and organisations with operational child protection and safeguarding issues.
An Analysis and Research Team who work in collaboration with the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme and the National Crime Agency to enhance understanding of the prevalence of child sexual abuse and exploitation and the risk and harm it presents. The aim of this is to address identified gaps in policing’s national capability highlighted by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and others.
A Communications Team with the ability to coordinate issues of national operational criticality within the vulnerability portfolio when this is appropriate, for example policing’s response to incidents like the Everyone’s Invited movement and the football abuse scandal.
News & events
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25th Oct 2023
Hydrant peer support enhances South Wales Police investigationThe Hydrant Programme provided peer support to South Wales Police as they investigated one of their own officers. Today he has been sentenced to life for blackmailing underage girls to send explicit photos
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20th Oct 2023
A year since the final IICSA reportIan Critchley, QPM has spoken of progress made in policing in the 12 months since the final report was published.
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16th Oct 2023
Why belief mattersNational Police Chief's Lead for Child Protection and Abuse, Ian Critchley QPM on the progress policing has made in child sexual abuse and exploitation investigation, and why belief is at the heart of this.
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25th Oct 2023
Hydrant peer support enhances South Wales Police investigationThe Hydrant Programme provided peer support to South Wales Police as they investigated one of their own officers. Today he has been sentenced to life for blackmailing underage girls to send explicit photos
-
20th Oct 2023
A year since the final IICSA reportIan Critchley, QPM has spoken of progress made in policing in the 12 months since the final report was published.
-
16th Oct 2023
Why belief mattersNational Police Chief's Lead for Child Protection and Abuse, Ian Critchley QPM on the progress policing has made in child sexual abuse and exploitation investigation, and why belief is at the heart of this.
