Operation Encompass is coming to Staffordshire Early 2021

Operation Encompass is an information sharing partnership between Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent educational settings (from Reception through to Higher Education) which allows schools to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse.

How does Operation Encompass work?

Information obtained by the police at the attendance of a domestic abuse incident is shared with a school prior to the start of the next school day which enables appropriate support to be given dependent on the needs and wishes of the child.

How do the schools receive notification by the police that a domestic incident has occurred?

When an officer attends the incident and completes the risk assessment on their handheld device, the name(s) of the children who form part of the household (whether present on not) are included. Alongside the details of the child, the officer will select the school that the child attends from the dropdown list. By completing this section of the risk assessment, the officer generates an automatic referral to the school via an email in real time.

How does the notification help to support the child?

Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure and this can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. By providing the school with the knowledge that a domestic incident has taken place in the child’s home the previous day, it allows the school to put support in place for the child before they arrive at school.

Next Steps:

Staffordshire Police, and Staffordshire and Stoke Education Authorities have provided a virtual bespoke training package which will enable you to understand the impact domestic abuse can have on a child and how best to support them in school. This will be available in due course.

For further details around Operation Encompass please speak to your Head Teacher or Safeguarding Lead in School.