Operation Encompass

In Knowsley, like all local authorities, there are children silently living with the impact of Domestic Abuse. In 2012 Knowsley, Merseyside Police and Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, introduced a new initiative which looked at a how key partners could work better together to safeguard these silent victims.

Operation Encompass is an initiative that follows in the footsteps of a successful programme in Plymouth developed by Sgt David Carney Howarth (retired). The purpose of this was to safeguard and support children and young people following a domestic abuse incident where police have been called out. The initiative was led in Knowsley by Jane Case (KMBC) and Mark Guinness (Merseyside Police).

Knowsley Operation Encompass aims to ensure that appropriate school staff are made aware when a child has been present at a domestic abuse incident so that school staff can provide early support children and young people in a way that means they feel safe and included in the school day.

Operation Encompass is built upon the development of Key Adults within each school these are the named lead for receiving information from Police and ensuing the appropriate support is available for the child or young person.

How does it work?

Each morning our local Vulnerable People’s Unit at Merseyside Police look at the Police systems, highlighting any violent or abusive incidents that would indicate domestic abuse. They then contact the named Key Adult in the school. This knowledge, given to schools through Operation Encompass, allows the provision of immediate early intervention through silent or overt support dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

The Merseyside Joint – Agency Operation Encompass Protocol

Merseyside Joint-Agency Operation Encompass Protocol

This protocol sets out a joint-agency procedure to provide, by early intervention, appropriate support for children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse in their household.

Other useful resources

Operation Encompass overview
Operation Key Adult Responsibilities
Operation Encompass School Letter
Operation Encompass Log Sheet
National Decision Making Model Knowsley
Examples of support
Liam socially
Liam emotionally
Liam the learner
Knowsley Operation Encompass 2012 Inset TrainingSchools