Children and young people
"Our children have lived through unprecedented times in recent years making their lives more complex with unique challenges. In parallel a legacy of austerity has seen the children’s workforce reduce and demand for support couldn’t be higher.
"All areas of policing have the potential to touch children’s lives. Our priorities are to see the child, advocate for the child and share the voice of the child. We must ensure we understanding the impact of every interaction we have, and being professionally curious to deliver a service which protects the vulnerable and is child centred at its heart.
"Childhood is a fundamental and unique time of life to learn and develop. We will come across young people who have pushed the boundaries too far or who got it very wrong. In these moments we need to consider what’s right for the child, what’s right for the victim and the community. Restorative work and diversionary practice give the child an opportunity to receive support and learn from mistakes. Victims feel heard and the wider community benefits.
"In Sussex we will continue with our child centred mandate and look to engage young people and create better relationships and understanding with them."
- Chief Superintendent Katy Woolford, Equality Champion for Children and Young People
Our work in this area
As a public service
We have identified four key priorities for Sussex Police in delivering a policing service to Children and Young People. They are:
- Stop and Search - Ensuring that our use of this power is fair and proportionate and that Children and Young People understand why and how we use it.
- Children in Care - This particularly vulnerable group of Children and Young People tend to be disproportionately represented in the Criminal Justice system and often come to the attention of the police more regularly. Our work seeks to minimise this and understand the reasons why.
- Detention, custody and criminalisation - Our work looks to reduce as far as possible young people coming into police custody by lowering their entry in the Criminal Justice system in the first place and by working with our partners to seek alternative disposals and accommodation.
- Engagement with Children and Young People - Essential in building trust and confidence within this community into the future and to understand their needs.
Children and Young Persons’ strategy 2025-2028
We are proud to announce the launch of Sussex Police’s new Children and Young Persons’ strategy 2025-2028. It sets out our unwavering commitment to protect children from harm.
The strategy reflects our commitment to embedding child-centred policing at the heart of every interaction with a child or young person.
Under 'Working Together 2023', the statutory multi-agency guidance on safeguarding best practice, our Chief Constable is one of the county's lead safeguarding partners.
Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: "How we respond to and work with children now will have a profound effect on how they view and interact with policing far into the future. We know that children and young people face unique challenges, and it's our job to protect them and keep them safe. To do this, we will train and equip our officers to:
- Recognise and protect children from harm, ensuring we never treat them as adults
- Engage meaningfully with young people, listening to their voices and building trust
- Work closely with our partners to protect children, prevent harm, and share vital information quickly
- Make early interventions that help steer young people away from the criminal justice system, focusing on positive outcomes.
"Every interaction with a child or young person is an opportunity to make a positive difference. From our contact handlers to attending officers, investigators and partners, we will approach every situation with curiosity, care, and professionalism."