Information
Northamptonshire Police: National child protection inspection
This report sets out the findings of HMICFRS’s 2025 inspection of child protection services in Northamptonshire Police. In February 2024, HMICFRS introduced a new child protection rolling inspection programme. For each police force in England and Wales, they make five judgments on how effectively the force safeguards children at risk. In each inspection, they focus on the experiences of children who come into contact with the police when there are concerns about their safety or well-being. A copy of the report can be downloaded here
PFCC Response
The Commissioner has received this report and welcomes the observations within it, which will assist in one of her key aims of making children and young people safer in the County. She is disappointed at the delays in the production of this report and the time taken for it to arrive in Force.
The Commissioner recognises and is extremely pleased that the inspection commented favourably of some aspects of how the Force manage this type of demand and especially in relation to the observations about leadership in the Force on this matter, and the quality of partnership working being undertaken in this space, as she firmly believes that this is key in all aspects of addressing community safety and vulnerability issues. She will seek to ensure that this both continues and is built upon to further improve these areas.
She has concerns over the findings relating to how the Force responds to children at risk of harm and how investigations are managed in relation to neglect, abuse and exploitation. The latter echoes wider observations and concerns that she has about investigative quality so are useful observations and findings to support her work in that regard.
The Commissioner and her staff have already discussed this report with the Chief Constable and senior staff in Northamptonshire Police and the contents will also be of use in discussions with the recently created Countywide Public Safety Board, which has children and young people at the heart of where it seeks to deliver safety improvements.
The Commissioner is aware that significant work has already been undertaken to remedy some of the findings of this report, with some changes being made while HMICFRS were still in the inspection itself. She will monitor the implementation of the recommendations closely and has requested a formal update to these at her assurance and accountability board meeting in November,
