Operation Encompass Pilot Programme being launched to help support children affected by Domestic Violence

This will allow officers to pass on relevant information to the school the child attends so that the right support can be put in place.

Operation Encompass is a partnership between the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Safeguarding Board Northern Ireland, the Education Authority and schools, aimed at supporting children who witness domestic violence or abuse in the home. If the Police attend a domestic abuse call where children are present, they will contact the child’s school before 9am the next morning to share this information with their safeguarding team.

Children are highly traumatised when they are present during an incident of domestic abuse. Operation Encompass helps get these children access to emotional support in a school environment where they are already familiar and have trusted adults around them. The information shared by the police is treated in strict confidence.

Colin Reid, Head of Safeguarding, Pupil Welfare and Inclusion for the Education Authority, said:

“In the past, schools have been among the last to know when one of its pupils has been the victim of domestic abuse. With Operation Encompass, our safeguarding staff in schools are empowered to meet the immediate needs of traumatised children. Operation Encompass allows our schools to do what they do best – provide personalised and caring support to the children in their care. This initiative is supported by the Education Authority’s Child Protection Support Service and we are delighted to work with our colleagues in Schools, the Police and the Safeguarding Board.”

Operation Encompass started a decade ago in England with the aim of better supporting child victims of domestic violence. Founders of Operation Encompass, David Carney-Haworth OBE and Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE, said:

“We are delighted that Operation Encompass is being implemented in Northern Ireland so that schools are better able to support children who are living with domestic violence and abuse.

“We know just how much teachers both need and want this information, schools have shared with us the difference that this can make to the children in their care, it enables teachers to understand a child’s behaviour, to offer them the support and nurture that they need.

 “Operation Encompass should be in every force, in every school, for every child, no matter where they live, it is simply every child’s right”.

Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony McNally from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Public Protection Branch, said:

“Domestic abuse across Northern Ireland has risen over the last year with Covid restrictions creating an environment for more abuse to occur in the home.

“The lasting effects on children who are exposed to domestic abuse can sometimes be left out of the narrative and we want to work in partnership to change this and ensure they are properly safeguarded.

“A child who is experiencing and/or witnessing physical, emotional and psychological abuse at home will go to school the next day often requiring emotional help and support, so it is important that our Education colleagues are made aware in quick time when a child has suffered or witnessed domestic abuse.

“Operation Encompass is therefore another way the Police Service of Northern Ireland is cementing our commitment to tackling and breaking the cycle of domestic abuse and I am delighted that we are now in a position after an extensive development phase to commence with this pilot on the 6th of September after our schools have re-opened.”

Downpatrick Police station has been selected as the site of the pilot of Operation Encompass, prior to a planned regional roll out in 2022. This pilot area covers from Downpatrick to Killyleagh, across to Saintfield and down to Newcastle. 

For more information on the programme and for resources for schools and police forces, visit Operation Encompass.