Operation Encompass

All Leicester Schools are part of a new safeguarding initiative, which aims to improve outcomes for children and families affected by domestic violence and abuse.

This scheme has been designed to provide early reporting to schools of any domestic abuse incidents that might have an impact on a child that attends their school.  The approach, known as Operation Encompass is used in a number of other places across the UK and is run in partnership with Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Police.

All public agencies currently share information where there are safeguarding concerns or risk of harm to children and the Police currently share information on all incidents of domestic abuse in Leicester with Leicester City Council.

To further support the welfare of children this information sharing is being extended.  During the school term our Designated Safeguarding Leads will now be informed when any domestic abuse incident has been reported to the police if one of our pupils was in the household. It will not give any details about the incident.

This has been introduced because domestic abuse in a household can have a big impact on children, even if they do not see what is happening.

This information will be used to ensure the school is able to provide appropriate support to our pupils. The information will remain confidential and only shared on a strictly need-to-know basis, for example with the class teacher.  It will not be shared with any pupils.

If you would like to speak to someone in confidence about domestic abuse, call the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 802 0028 or visit:

 https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-community/emergencies-safety-and-crime/domestic-and-sexual-abuse/

We look to offer the best support possible for our pupils and believe that this scheme is going to be beneficial and supportive for all those involved.  In other areas of the country where it is in place it has been found to be a very effective way of supporting children at a most difficult time.

Update to Operation Encompass - 19th September 2022

Building upon the national success of Operation Encompass (Police in all 43 forces in England and Wales sharing information with schools about children experiencing domestic abuse) Leicestershire police are expanding the information that they are sharing confidentially with the safeguarding leads in Leicestershire schools.

From the 19^th of September 2022 they have begun a phased rollout across the Police Force sharing with us incidents that they have attended where they feel there has been an impact upon a child’s physical, emotional or mental well-being.

We are thrilled the force has made this decision as this confidential information will help us to support and care for the children in our care even more effectively.

More information about Operation Encompass including their statement can be found on their website www.operationencompass.org

As part of the Operation Encompass Information Sharing Platform our Police Force will also share with the Designated Safeguarding Lead information about police attended incidents where they feel that there has been a tangible impact upon a child is physical, emotional or mental well-being.

This information is shared so that our school can better understand children’s living experience and can support, nurture and care for them more effectively.

Our DSL has attended a briefing about this information sharing and has disseminated information to the safeguarding governor and to all members of staff.