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Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass

3rd April 2017

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a new innovative project which Northumbria Police is running in partnership with schools through out the force area.

What is Operation Encompass?

The project aims to safeguard and support children and young people who are involved in or affected by incidents involving domestic abuse.

Witnessing domestic abuse is really distressing for a young person, who can often see the abuse, hear it from another room, see a parent's injuries or distress afterwards or be physically hurt trying to stop the abuse.

Following such an incident, children will often arrive at school upset and unprepared. Operation Encompass aims to ensure that appropriate school staff are made aware early enough to support children in the best way possible.

How does it work?

Following a domestic abuse incident being reported into Northumbria Police, specialist police officers will make contact with Children’s Social Care who will then communicate relevant and necessary information to nominated school staff. This ensures the school is aware as soon as possible so support can be provided and children can feel safe and listened to.

Each school has a member of staff (key adult) who has been fully trained to liaise with the police and social services, so are able ensure the right support is made available to the child following the disclosure of a domestic abuse incident.  The key adult at Bellingham Middle is the headteacher - Mrs Simpson.

Each morning a specialist officer will review all violent or abusive incidents that would indicate domestic abuse. Where there are incidents involving children living at home aged between 4 and 16 years old, the school that the child or young person attends will be contacted and information will be passed to the 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 child.

Our commitment

Northumbria Police is committed to working in partnership, to safeguard and protect children, and to providing the best possible care and support.

Further information

If you're a parent, school or partner you can also find out more information through accessing the following website: http://www.operationencompass.org/

If you feel that you are in danger then you should telephone and talk to the police using 999.

Downloadable materials 

The downloadable Operation Encompass Booklet (PDF)