Strategy and Governance

The Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) Child Exploitation & Extra-Familial Harm Strategy sets out the agreed priority areas that all partner agencies will work towards to ensure the most effective and coordinated response to exploitation and extra-familial harm. This includes recognising the need to work with our colleagues across the four Local Safeguarding Adult Boards (4LSAB) in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton to ensure there are appropriate transitional safeguarding arrangements in place to support all victims of exploitation.

There are clear links between child exploitation, extra-familial harm and those children who are trafficked and/or go missing. Agencies cannot address these issues alone or in isolation from other related forms of harm and abuse or neglect that children may experience. The HIPS Executive, through this strategy, is committed to securing a robust multi-agency response to children vulnerable because of any of the following:

• Missing from home or care.
• Exploitation and extra-familial harm – including child sexual exploitation (CSE), online exploitation, child criminal exploitation (CCE) including county lines, drug-related harm, knife crime and serious violence; as well as other forms of exploitation that involve coercion and control such as radicalisation and extremism; forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM).
• Trafficking and/or modern slavery.

This includes understanding the drivers of exploitation; exploring themes and emerging risks; having a greater awareness of those who pose a risk to children; and developing a greater knowledge of the places, spaces, and contexts in which extra-familial harm is most prevalent. All of which will provide key prevention opportunities to stop children becoming victims of exploitation.

Our vision is a simple one, to make the counties of Hampshire and Isle of Wight a safe space for children.

Our mission is to safeguard children and young people from harm resulting from all forms of exploitation and extra-familial harm by:

1. Having a shared understanding of our roles and responsibilities to provide a coordinated and effective response (including services for adults).
2. Having a clear focus on the prevention of harm, including through the identification, disruption and prosecution of offenders.

Our principles are to make sure responses to child exploitation and extra-familial harm:

➔ Put children and young people first.
➔ Respect the voice, experience, and expertise of children and young people.
➔ Be strengths-based and relationship-based.
➔ Recognise and respond to trauma.
➔ Be curious, evidence-informed and knowledgeable.
➔ Treat protective parents and caregivers as partners, wherever safe to do so.
➔ Create safer spaces and places for children and young people.
➔ Recognise and challenge inequalities, exclusion and discrimination.

The full strategy can be accessed via the HIPS Procedures website.