Operation Encompass
Our school has been given the opportunity to take part in national project, which is being run locally in partnership with Worcestershire Children First and West Mercia Police
Operation Encompass is a process whereby the police and county council will inform a member of staff if a child or young person has experienced any domestic incident. This will be done prior to the start of the next school day. Information sharing between professional agencies allows school staff to provide emotional and practical support to their pupils experiencing domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse can broadly be defined as ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour; violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who have been intimate partners or family members. This can include but is not limited to the following types of abuse – psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.
Operation Encompass ensures that a member of the school staff, usually the Designated Safeguarding Lead, is given special training, to enable them to liaise with the police and Local Authority in receiving and using the information that has been shred, in confidence.
The sharing of details under Operation Encompass is permitted under Statutory Safeguarding Lead and in respect of local authority schools under the Crime and Disorder Act (for the prevention of crime) and doing so without the child’s or parent’s consent is permissible, under both pieces of legislation and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
We want to offer the best support possible to all our pupils and we believe, that where necessary, this will be beneficial in helping us to achieve that goal. Please make contact with Mr McClarey, Headteacher, or the school’s safeguarding lead should you wish to discuss the content of this letter.
Useful links
| Family Front Door 01905 822666 (Mon-Fri 08:30-17:00) for out of hours: Emergency Duty Team on 01905 768 020 The Family Front Door is the referral point for all referrals where members of the community and professionals refer children and young people living in Worcestershire where they are worried about their safety and welfare. |
| Sexual Assault Referral Centre (The Glade) 0800 970 0377 www.theglade.org.uk Supporting the victims of Rape or Serious Sexual Assault. |
| Dawn Project (Domestic Abuse Working Network) 07713 200 699 https://www.worcestercommunitytrust.org.uk/wct-in-action/dawn/ DAWN is a free, confidential, and non-judgmental service for women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse in the Worcester area. |
| Worcestershire Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Service If you are a victim of domestic abuse and violence, or know someone who is, there is help available The West Mercia Women’s Aid Helpline on 0800 980 3331 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is staffed by trained workers who can offer you support, safety planning, information and advice. Men’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0327 (Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm) 24 hour helpline 0800 014 9082 In an emergency always dial 999 and ask for police. If you are not safe to speak – call 999 and then press 55. Guidance on the silent calls (“Silent solution”): Silent solution guide (Independent Office for Police Conduct website, opens in a new window). The service delivers free, confidential advice and support to female and male survivors, young people and children. It is the single point of access to services. You can call if you need a listening ear, advice, access to refuge accommodation, support, advocacy, outreach support or someone to talk to. |
| West Mercia Police 101 (non-emergency) 999 (emergency) |
| Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WRSASC) 01905 724 514 https://www.wmrsasc.org.uk/ email: isva@wmrsasc.org.uk WRSASC is a free, confidential and non-judgemental service for men, women and children (over 5 & over) who have experienced any form of sexual attack, whether physical, verbal or emotional. Our services include telephone support for survivors and their family or friends via our telephone helpline and face to face counselling support and ISVAs for clients aged 5 years and over. |
| Childline 0800 1111 www.childline.org.uk Childline is the UK’s free, totally confidential helpline dedicated to helping children and young people. |
| National Stalking Helpline 0808 802 0300 https://www.suzylamplugh.org/Pages/Category/national-stalking-helpline The helpline provides guidance and information to anybody who is currently or has previously been affected by harassment or stalking. The Helpline can provide guidance on the UK law, reporting offences to the police, evidence gathering, and your personal safety. |
| Victim Support (local) Victim Assessment & Referral Centre 01905 726 896 (local) 0808 16 89 111 (national) www.victimsupport.org.uk An independent charity offering free, confidential support to people affected by crime and traumatic incidents. Services are confidential, free and available to everyone. Victims are usually put in touch with this organisation by the police but they can also be contacted directly. |
| National Rape Crisis Helpline 0300 999 5428 help@galop.org.uk Support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing domestic abuse. |
| Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s Law) 0808 2000 247 https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ This scheme aims to provide a formal mechanism for you to make inquiries about your partner if you are worried that they may have been abusive in the past, or about someone else’s partner on their behalf. If police checks show that the partner has had a record of abusive behaviour, or there is other information to indicate that you may be at risk from your partner, the police will consider sharing this information with you or the person you were worried about. The scheme aims to help you to make a more informed decision on whether to continue a relationship and provides further help and support to assist you when making that choice. |
| Karma Nirvana 0800 5999 247 www.karmanirvana.org.uk Providing support and advise around Forced Marriage, Honour based violence and female genital mutilation. Cultural acceptance does not mean accepting the unacceptable. One of their key principles is that they never talk to or engage with the family. Their commitment and loyalty are to the person making the referral as they understand the fears when family members become involved. |
| Respect Men’s Advice Line 0808 8010 327 www.mensadviceline.org.uk Confidential helpline for men experiencing domestic abuse. |
| Paladin – National Stalking Advocacy Service 020 3866 4107 https://paladinservice.co.uk/ Paladin is a trauma-informed service established to assist high risk victims of stalking in England and Wales. Our unique team of accredited Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers (ISACs) ensure that high risk victims of stalking are supported and that a coordinated community response is developed locally to keep victims and their children safe. |