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
-
25th Apr 2024
National policing lead for child protection responds to launch of Whole-School ApproachThe NSPCC has partnered with Life Lessons to launch a new framework for secondary school leaders to support them in delivering sex and relationships in education.
-
24th Apr 2024
NPCC responds to calls for end-to-end encryption roll out to include public protection measuresThe National Crime Agency (NCA) and police chiefs in Europe expressed their ‘deep’ concern that end-to-end encryption is being rolled out in a way that undermines their ability to investigate crime and keep the public safe and the NPCC has responded.
-
23rd Apr 2024
National Policing Lead for Child Protection responds to IWF 2023 Annual ReportResponding to the report, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection Ian Critchley QPM, said: “The work of the IWF is crucial in the identification, removal and reporting of child sexual abuse material.
-
25th Apr 2024
National policing lead for child protection responds to launch of Whole-School ApproachThe NSPCC has partnered with Life Lessons to launch a new framework for secondary school leaders to support them in delivering sex and relationships in education.
-
24th Apr 2024
NPCC responds to calls for end-to-end encryption roll out to include public protection measuresThe National Crime Agency (NCA) and police chiefs in Europe expressed their ‘deep’ concern that end-to-end encryption is being rolled out in a way that undermines their ability to investigate crime and keep the public safe and the NPCC has responded.
-
23rd Apr 2024
National Policing Lead for Child Protection responds to IWF 2023 Annual ReportResponding to the report, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Child Protection Ian Critchley QPM, said: “The work of the IWF is crucial in the identification, removal and reporting of child sexual abuse material.
