A new partnership between Guernsey’s Education and Police is set to be launched later this summer in Guernsey to offer stronger support for children and young people who experience domestic abuse.
Operation Encompass is a scheme that runs across the UK to provide support for children and young people who are living in these difficult situations. Guernsey Police have been working with the Early Years Sector, the schools and colleges in Guernsey and Alderney to implement the scheme.
It will enable information to be shared with a designated safeguarding lead at the school the morning after a police call-out in relation to domestic abuse, which, in turn, will allow the school to provide appropriate support depending on the needs and wishes of the child.
Melissa Guille, Children’s Officer for Education Inclusion Services, said: “The Safeguarding Lead at each setting has been trained to enable them to liaise with the police and to use the information that has been shared, in confidence, while ensuring that staff are able to make provision for possible difficulties experienced by the child or young person. We are keen to offer the best support possible to all of the island’s children and young people and we believe adopting this important initiative will be extremely beneficial to all involved.”
Ian Scholes, Deputy Chief Officer, Guernsey Police, said: “Operation Encompass has been very successful across in the country in connecting police forces with their local schools and colleges, all with the aim of leading to better outcomes for children and young people involved in the difficult situations presented by domestic abuse cases. Children are of course negatively impacted by these experiences, so it is hoped that the sharing of information between organisations will enable us to offer appropriate support to them.”
Operation Encompass has been introduced as part of the work being done on the island’s Domestic Abuse Strategy.
Fiona Richmond, Domestic Abuse Strategy Coordinator, said: “Far from being passive witnesses, children are not ‘exposed’ to abuse and violence, instead, they live with it and experience it directly in the same way that adults do. Such experiences often leave children traumatised, mistrustful and guarded or finding it difficult to develop a sense of independence and competence. In school this can impact on their ability to self-regulate, build social relationships and learn.
“Thankfully, given the right support, children are usually able to adapt and change to meet their adverse experiences and manage them. Operation Encompass aims to help by enabling immediate and sensitive support, making a child’s day better. It also means that relevant staff are made aware of these issues as the child moves forward to safeguard against the medium and long term effects of domestic abuse.”
Click here for more information about Operation Encompass.
Deputy Rob Prow, President of the Committee for Home Affairs, said: “This excellent scheme is a product of our officers working closely with colleagues in Education and Law Enforcement to ensure the island’s children have access to the support they need. As a Committee we are always keen to support the introduction of initiatives like this one, and we are pleased to see it coming to fruition after the initial liaison the founders of Operation Encompass had with our Domestic Abuse Strategy Coordinator.”
