Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a partnership between police and schools, a school can only join if the local police force has already joined Operation Encompass. However Key Adults are welcome to access the Key Adult Training even if they are not part of Operation Encompass

One of the principles of Operation Encompass is  that all incidents of domestic abuse are shared with schools, not just those where an offence can be identified.

Operation Encompass is very simple and easy to implement within a school.

Every school appoints a trained Key Adult  – the Key Adult is the person who receives information about police attended Domestic Abuse incidents.

The Key Adult will be notified prior to the start of the next school day that the police have attended an incident of domestic abuse. This timely information sharing  enables appropriate support to be provided for that child so that all interactions, from when the child first arrives at the school gates, are of a positive nature.

The Key Adult must be trained as a Designated or Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead ( or officer in some areas) and should attend a Key Adult Briefing.

An alternative to the attendance at a Key Adult Briefing is to complete the Operation Encompass online Key Adult training available on our website.

This online Key Adult training is free and  available to all school staff and Governors. This training:

• creates an awareness of Operation Encompass throughout a school 
• informs the participant about key facts concerning Domestic Abuse 
• explains how Operation Encompass mitigates the effects of domestic abuse on children and explains its broader consequent benefits.
• explains to school staff how to communicate the school's Operation Encompass participation to the broader school community and stakeholders, for example by placing information on the school's website, in its prospectus, and by sending the joint police/school letter to parents.

Operation Encompass is an integral component in child safeguarding and protection policies and, as such, should be cited in the school's Safeguarding and Child Protection policies. Participation in Operation Encompass mandates a secure record-keeping trail, which may be electronic or paper based. Within Operation Encompass all records are managed at Child Protection level with the highest level of security and confidentiality, and in full accordance with GDPR. These records are held by police and schools only. Operation Encompass does not hold the records and never has access to these records.

Further information can be found at https://www.operationencompass.org/school-participation