About Us

There are three organisations in Hampshire (termed Safeguarding Partners) who are jointly responsible for the partnership arrangements for keeping children safe: Hampshire County Council,  Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB). Acting as a strategic leadership group the three lead safeguarding partners oversee the HSCP.

The relevant agencies for the HSCP arrangements are named by the safeguarding partners as:

• Ministry of Defense
• District/Borough/City Councils
• Child and Family Court Advisory Service (CAFCASS) (listed in WT2018 but who have adopted a national position of not attending)
• Education establishments (primary, secondary, independent, post-16 years and special schools, Pupil Referral units and Early Years Settings).
• Hampshire County Council, Adults’ Health and Care
• Hampshire County Council, Children and Families
• Hampshire County Council, Education and Inclusion
• Hampshire County Council, Public Health
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary
• Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service
• National Probation Service in the Hampshire Local Authority Area
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Rehabilitation Company
• Hampshire Youth Offending Team
• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board
• NHS England, Local Area Team
• Health providers:
  • Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
  • Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust
  • University of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
  • Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • South Central Ambulance Service
  • North Hampshire Urgent Care
  • Solent NHS Trust
  • Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
  • All Primary Care providers commissioned by the CCGs
  • Partnering Health Limited (PHL)
  • Independent Providers
  • Commissioned Providers of Substance Misuse Services
• The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (for the Hampshire Constabulary force area)
• Commissioned Providers of Domestic Abuse Services
• Voluntary Sector
• Winchester Diocese
• Portsmouth Diocese

The purpose of the partnership is to support and enable local agencies to work together in a system where:

• Excellent practice is the norm
• Partner agencies hold one another to account effectively
• There is early identification of “new” safeguarding issues
• Learning is promoted and embedded
• Information is shared effectively

Everything we do is underpinned by two key principles:

1. Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility – for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part.
2. A child centred approach – for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of the individual children whilst recognising the support parents and carers may require.

The Partnership is collectively responsible for the strategic oversight of the local safeguarding arrangements. It does this by leading, coordinating, challenging and monitoring the delivery of safeguarding practice by all agencies across the county.

HSCP’s Independent Chair and Scrutineer is Scott MacKechnie who is appointed by, and accountable to, the three Safeguarding Partners.

HSCP members are senior representatives from a range of agencies who are able to speak with authority, commit to matters of policy and hold their organisations to account.

Subgroups

Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) has a range of subgroups in place to address priorities within our Business Plan. Multi-agency work within our subgroups promote work to drive a range of improvements to both the safety and welfare of children and young people. Partnership membership extends across several working groups to provide continuity.

Our current groups, including the chairs’ organisations, are as follows:

HSCP

• Main Board (Independent Chair)
• Executive Group (Partnership Team)
• Learning & Inquiry Group (Assistant Director, Children’s Services)
• Scrutiny Group (Head of Sector Led Improvement and Service Development, Children’s Services)
• Education Group (School Improvement Manager, Children’s Services)
• Workforce Development Group (Detective Superintendent, Hampshire Constabulary)
• HSCP Child Exploitation Group (Service Manager, Children’s Services)

HSCP also commissions task and finish groups to deliver actions against our priorities.

The main to contribute to the effective collaborative work of the group by sharing responsibility with other members for achieving the objectives set out in the work plan.

The is to steer the members and co-opted members in achieving the agreed objectives set out in the work plan.

The HSCP works in close partnership with the Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships (LSCPs) in the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, collectively known as ‘HIPS’.

The HIPS partnership provides greater joined up working on strategic issues and common themes in recognition that many agencies and professionals work across more than one of the local authority geographical area. There are four HIPS subgroups

• Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton (HIPS) Executive Group (Independent Chair)
• HIPS Child Exploitation Group (Chief Superintendent, Hampshire Constabulary)
• HIPS Health Group (Assistant Director, NHS England)
• HIPS Procedures Group (LSCP Partnership Managers)

The four LSCPs work in partnership to maintain the local Safeguarding Children Procedures Manual for all those working with children and families in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Business plan

Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) produces a three-year Business Plan and reports progress in the Annual Report.

The current Business Plan 2020-23  outlines the agreed priorities for HSCP for the period 2020-2023.

Yearly Report

The current Yearly Report 2022-23 provides information on what has been achieved in Hampshire during 2022/23 and includes updates on local priorities, initiatives and learning. The Report also includes relevant information on national issues and the development of shared activity across the whole of Hampshire that involves Portsmouth, Southampton, and the Isle of Wight.

Communication and Engagement Strategy

The Communication & Engagement Strategy 2020-2023 ensures that the work of the HSCP is effectively communicated to children and their families, safeguarding partners, and relevant agencies across Hampshire.

HSCP Team

The Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) is not a frontline service. If you have a concern about a child or young person, please visit our Report a Concern page.

For general queries about the work of the Partnership, including its subgroups contact us via:

Tel: 01962 876355.

Email: hscp@hants.gov.uk

Postal address: Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership, Elizabeth II Court, Winchester, SO22 8UJ​

The Independent Chair of HSCP can be contacted via the HSCP email or postal address.

Complaints

HSCP has a role in coordinating and ensuring the effectiveness of local arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, it is not accountable for the operational work of its partners or any other agency working with children and young people in Hampshire. Any complaints about the operational work of such organisations should initially be directed through the relevant organisation’s complaints procedure. You should contact the organisation directly for further information on how to do this.

If you wish to make a complaint about the HSCP or the way we discharge our functions, you should address your concerns to the Independent Chair.

You can make your complaint in writing, by email or telephone using the contact details on this page. The Independent Chair will give due consideration to all complaints and take any remedial action necessary. We will acknowledge all complaints within 10 working days and provide a full response within 28 working days. If we are unable to respond within these timescales, then we will contact you and explain why.