Information for Workers

The Police - Wiltshire Constabulary

Wiltshire Police covers the geographic area of Swindon and Wiltshire, offering a service to victims of crime - twenty-four hours a day -seven days a week.

We are committed to dealing with all aspects of child protection and domestic violence in a positive manner within a multi-agency context. The solutions to safeguarding vulnerable members of society do not rest with the Police in isolation. The Force, however, can act as a gateway to the services that are provided by external agencies and voluntary organisations. The provision of this service is in direct accordance with the Force's aims and commitment to Equal Opportunities.

The priorities of Wiltshire Police in responding to child abuse and neglect are to:

• Protect the lives of children.
• Investigate all reports of child abuse and neglect and so protect the rights of child victims of crime.
• Establish investigating child abuse and safeguarding children as a mainstream policing activity.
• Take effective action against offenders so that they can be held accountable.
• Adopt a proactive multi-agency approach to prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect.

The Force has three basic command units, known as divisions, each with their own divisional headquarters and a central headquarters in Devizes. ‘D’ divisional headquarters covers the borough of Swindon. Within each of these divisional headquarters are a team of officers led by a Detective Sergeant who form the Child Protection Unit. Out of hours the Swindon Duty Inspector has the responsibility to manage investigations.

The Child Protection Unit will deal whenever possible with the following cases;

• allegations/reasonable suspicion of sexual, physical abuse and neglect of persons under eighteen years, where the alleged offender is a family member or is a person visiting the household regularly.
• sudden and unexplained deaths of children and/or providing advice to investigators in child homicide cases or taking responsibility for such investigations, child abuse on the internet and historic abuse allegations.
• where offences occur on children by adults who have professional care of them.
• organised abuse as detailed in Child Protection Procedures

All domestic violence reports where children are present or are usually resident at an address will be forwarded to the local social services department. On receipt of three domestic violence reports where children are present or usually resident, a child protection referral form will be completed. There will then be a discussion between the respective social services and Child Protection Unit manager, to decide the appropriate course of action.

The Child Protection Unit investigators are co-located with domestic violence and vulnerable adult investigators, owing to the recognized close links between these areas of business.

The investigation of crime against children is as important as the investigation of any other form of serious crime.