Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) Safeguarding Children Partnerships recently launched the new Child Sexual Abuse Strategy and associated online Toolkit, developed to support professionals working with young people and their families in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight areas.
Statistics indicate that as many as one in 20 children in the UK may have been sexually abused (NSPCC Learning Child sexual abuse: statistics briefing, March 2021) although only one in eight children who are sexually abused are identified by professionals. The HIPS Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Strategy aims to provide a co-ordinated approach to preventing CSA, and improve the identification, protection, and support for victims, survivors and their families. It has been created is to improve the ways in which children’s needs and risks are understood, recognised and responded to.
Over 400 Hampshire professionals attended one of three launch events on 28 March 2023 for an introduction to the new Strategy and Toolkit and how it can be applied to support professional practice. Delegates had the opportunity to explore local cases, gain an understanding of the key messages and discover further learning opportunities. Feedback from professionals who attended the launch was overwhelmingly positive.
If you missed the launch events or would like to learn more about CSA, HSCP host a number of free webinars for professionals which incorporate the newly revised Strategy and Toolkit. For further information and to book related courses, click on the links below: