On 24 May 2024 Royal Assent was granted to The Victims and Prisoners Act. The new Act placed Operation Encompass into Law and puts a statutory obligation on police forces to share Operation Encompass notifications with schools. Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved. Information is shared with a school’s Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead or Officer) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident.

sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child. Children are negatively impacted by experiencing domestic abuse and without early intervention and support this negative impact can last through a child’s life course.

Domestic abuse can impact upon social, psychological, physical, emotional and behavioural outcomes with an often negative impact upon a child’s academic success. Experiencing domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience. Operation Encompass aims, by directly connecting police and schools, to secure better outcomes for children , to enable schools to better understand the impact living with domestic abuse has upon children, to help schools to better understand a child’s lived experience and to therefore be able to support and nurture each child , making a child’s day better and giving them a better tomorrow. There is further information available on the Operation Encompass website, including free training through the National College, which governors and trustees are welcome to attend. Home : Operation Encompass