What is Operation Encompass?
Past serious case reviews, including the tragic case involving Daniel Pelka, have identified a failure in agencies sharing information with schools relating to domestice abuse. Operation Encompass has been used in a number of areas with success, including Plymouth and Knowlsey.
Murdishaw West Community Primary School is participating in Operation Encompass.
Further information can be found at: www.operationencompass.org
In the Pan-Cheshire sub-region,Operation Encomplass is an initiative between the Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB's), schools located across the local aythority areas of Halton, Warrington, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire Police, with support from the Complex Dependency Programme.
Its purpose is to safeguard and support children and young people where a domestic incident has been reported from their home. Following such an incident, children will often arrive at school distressed, upset and unprepared. Operation Encompass will ensure that the appropriate schools are made aware early enough to support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe, supported and listened to.
How does it work?
Schools and colleges will have an identified two key adults. In our school this is Mrs Edwards and Mrs Phillips
Each morning a locally-based Police Officer from the Integrated Referral Unit (IRU) will review all violent or abusive incidents that would indicate domestic abuse. In incidents where children are living at home and aged between 4 and 18 years old, the school that the child or young person attends will be contacted by telephone and information will be passed to a designated 'Key Adult' in the school.
The staff in contact with those pupils will then be in an informed position to support them in a way that is right for that particular child or young person, either with silent or overt support.
All key adults within each school will receive additional training so that they can fulfil their role.