User:Operation Encompass/sandbox

Operation Encompass was created in 2010 by police sergeant David Carney-Haworth OBE and his wife headteacher Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE.

The scheme was created in response to a child who attended at Elisabeth's school who had experienced a domestic abuse incident. The scheme was launched throughout the whole of Devon and Cornwall between February 2011 and may 2012.

The scheme;

A scheme that helps support children exposed to domestic abuse scooped 'Overall Winner' at the 2019 World Class Policing Awards sponsored by Accenture. The awards aim to promote excellence in policing by sharing insight into the winning nominations.

An innovative local initiative supporting children exposed to domestic violence, which has grown to become a national and international phenomenon, was recently named the overall winner of the inaugural World Class Policing Awards in London.

Operation Encompass, the pioneering project launched by Sergeant David Carney-Haworth OBE from Devon and Cornwall Police, took the title ahead of 53 other finalists drawn from more than 100 outstanding entries in the Awards.

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership that enables schools to offer immediate support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse. When officers have attended a domestic abuse incident, police share the information with a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) before the start of the next school day, so that appropriate support can be given at the earliest possible opportunity, and dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

Children experiencing domestic abuse are negatively impacted by this exposure; domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and can lead to emotional, physical and psychological harm. Rapid provision of support within the school environment means children are better safeguarded against the short, medium and long-term effects of domestic abuse – making a child’s day better, and giving them a better tomorrow.

Since it was launched in Devon and Cornwall in 2011 thousands of children have been helped daily by Operation Encompass, which has developed into a charity in its own right. The scheme has now been adopted by 43 forces across the UK, with similar approaches also being implemented in the Netherlands and the USA.

A spokesman for the World Class Policing Awards said judges were “really impressed and moved” by the nomination. He added: “Operation Encompass deals with a perennial issue that happens behind closed doors, affects generations and has a pernicious effect on society.

“This was an outstanding example of collaboration with high impact among vulnerable children and a national reach. It was also good use of new technology. A relatively simple set of changes around information sharing, but combined with a very impressive focus on good quality training and informed by the latest research in terms of trauma informed practice.”

The problem

The reasoning behind Operation Encompass can be summed up in a concerning but all too common scenario.

Imagine, as a child or young person, arriving at school the morning after you have heard or seen your parents fighting.

You have not slept and you’ve had no breakfast. Your home is in disarray.

You don’t have all your school uniform on or your PE kit, you’re anxious, you believe that what is happening is your fault, and now you are expected to sit in your classroom and learn about adverbs.

You are worried about your parents and want to be at home, but you are also worried about what will happen when you do go home at the end of the day. You believe you have no-one to talk to about what has occurred or how you feel.

This was the scenario recognised by headteacher Elisabeth Carney-Haworth, who feared that such events were being played out in schools every day, leaving children without the support and nurture they needed, when they needed it most.

She discussed her concerns her police sergeant husband David, a discussion that demonstrated the wisdom of the quote: “None of us knows what all of us know.” When a teacher sees a change in a child’s behaviour, it is police who often know the reason why. With one parent potentially in police custody and a second distressed parent, it’s no wonder the child is affected.

David and Elisabeth’s conversation about the impact on children in a home blighted by domestic abuse, and their profound desire to help and protect those children, led to the launch of Operation Encompass, which shares the right information with schools as early as possible, so they understand what is affecting the child and can help them through the aftermath of these events.

The solution

The principles of Operation Encompass are simple – to the extent that a common response from those encountering the scheme for the first time is often: “Why hasn’t this been done before?”

A Key Adult is appointed within every school, who receives information about abusive incidents directly from the police. They are notified prior to the start of the next school day that the police have attended an incident of domestic abuse to which a child has experienced. This enables an appropriate support plan to be put in place for that child, so that all interactions from when the child first arrives at the school gates are positive.

The Key Adult must be a trained Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Deputy DSL who has attended a mandatory police and education-led Operation Encompass briefing. They can cascade this training to their school governors and all staff, creating awareness throughout their school of Operation Encompass, how it mitigates the effects of domestic abuse, and its broader consequent benefits. They can also communicate the programme participation to the broader school community and stakeholders – for example, by placing information on the school’s website, in its prospectus, and by sending the joint police/school letter to parents.

Innovative approaches

Operation Encompass has inspired truly collaborative working between agencies in the public protection arena; this type of information sharing – in partnership and in such a timely way – has never been done before.

The scheme has required forces to overcome the complexities of new information sharing techniques. This has involved updating / changing IT systems and changing police officers’ understanding of the impact of domestic abuse upon families, as well as seeing children as victims in their own right. Some forces have been inspired to create new staffing positions to effectively manage the information and further develop collaborative links between education and police.

Schools have embraced the training provided, and the present training for school staff is soon to be made available electronically in order to replicate the systems, knowledge and skills needed for other forces to adopt Operation Encompass.

The scheme has become an integral component in child safeguarding and protection policies and, as such, is now cited in schools’ Safeguarding and Child Protection policies. Participation in Operation Encompass mandates a secure record-keeping trail; all records are managed at Child Protection level with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, in full accordance with GDPR.

Operation Encompass has also addressed the issue of officers and those in education becoming inured to the impact of domestic abuse on young people. Elisabeth and David recognised the need for a new style of presentation, and created briefings designed to capture both the hearts and minds of attendees. The briefing acknowledged the fact that many police officers attending at a domestic incident, when no offences have been identified, feel as if they have let down the non-abusing adult and the child

victims. It also recognises the impact of domestic abuse on those attending officers, who may themselves be a victim of domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass challenges officer bias by giving the officers the knowledge that support, which is not within their gift or skill set, is available at school the following day. Officers leave such incidents in a more positive spirit and a sense that they have achieved something.

Benefits

To victims: The simple information sharing between police and schools before a child arrives at the school gate enables a range of timely care and support to be put in place. This ensures that the child’s welfare needs are met for the day, and allows professionals to consider further support services for the welfare of the whole family; ultimately, the support given to a child who has experienced domestic abuse can be life changing not only immediately but longer term.

The Operation Encompass briefings contain information around being trauma informed, and awareness of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Research shows that experience of domestic violence is a key predictor for higher ACE scores, and the higher a person’s ACE score, the higher the risk for later physical and emotional health problems and risk-taking behaviours. This matters because as many as one in five children in a school class of 30 are victims of domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass is about improving lives and enabling forces to go beyond their mandate to protect and support the vulnerable. It places great importance upon the voice of the child and helps police officers recognise the importance of the voice of a victim, whether it is a child or an adult.

In some schools it was noticed that children self-referred without an Operation Encompass call. Adults also use this awareness of the help offered to support others to contact schools themselves. Only half of children experiencing domestic abuse are known to statutory children’s services, and it’s likely that these children will receive little or no support, as sadly their experience will invariably not meet social care thresholds; whatever support there might will certainly not be immediate. The cycle of domestic abuse can only be broken if agencies know it is happening. Operation Encompass is the key to the door for those child victims.

It has been noticed that victims who have received support through Operation Encompass help other victims. The programme also helps the community to be more open about domestic abuse and the underlying causes, including substance abuse, mental health and poverty.

To suspects and offenders: Operation Encompass has enabled some adults who commit domestic abuse to understand that this behaviour is not acceptable in their home, in their community or in society. Perpetrators have been able to understand the harm that they are causing to both their partner and their children. For some the recognition of damage done to their children has been a revelation and the catalyst to change their behaviour. This supports the aspirations of the Home Office as explained in the draft Domestic Abuse Bill.

The introduction of Operation Encompass briefings has also heightened the awareness of attendees regarding the impact of ACEs on young people who may well come to the attention of the police for committing crime.

To officers: This programme recognises that police officers can themselves be victims, and the Operation Encompass briefings help officers to understand their trauma and that experienced by their children. Some officers report a sense of shame or guilt. These issues are and can be addressed through police welfare departments with a general improvement in health and welfare of officers.

Outcomes

An indication of the challenge that police forces and schools face with domestic abuse was reflected by the most recent data collected. In the academic year 2018-2019, in just 190 school days, across 17 police forces that had adopted Operation Encompass, more than 46,500 children were supported.

Operation Encompass has been established in multi-agency safeguarding hubs as a core practice. In areas where the scheme has been implemented, the partnership work now often extends beyond school and police. Children’s social care services recognise Operation Encompass, and a call from the programme can often lead to a safeguarding check by the school with social care services, leading to further family support and protection of vulnerable child victims.

The scheme received charitable status in September 2016 and is run on a voluntary basis by founders Elisabeth and David Carney- Haworth, the programme aims to ensure that all incidents of domestic abuse are shared with schools, not just those where an offence can be identified. The charity’s mission is for Operation Encompass to be adopted by every police force and every school, for the benefit of every child. To date, 40 police forces across the UK have adopted the scheme, and similar approaches have now also been implemented in Guernsey,Australia, and the Netherlands. Some forces have taken advantage of current technology to create computer programs specifically for Operation Encompass, with drop-down menus included on hand-held devices to ensure officers capture child victims’ details. Each of the UK police forces engaged with Operation Encompass has developed innovative practice that has become day-to-day business.

The future?

To date Operation Encompass has been largely self-funding by the founders, but the importance of this progressive work developing into the future was recognised in 2019 by the Home Office, which awarded £163,000 to the charity to assist the ambition of having the scheme in place in every police force. The grant is being used to further spread the work of Encompass nationally, as a model of good practice.

Operation Encompass is also developing academic links through two separate pieces of research with Southampton University and Winchester University, and a team of Psychologists aimed at measuring the impact of the support provided to families and then sharing this nationally and internationally.

Far from resting on its laurels, the programme has also now launched ‘Operation Encompass: The Next Steps’. This sets out the work that the charity already does in helping to break the cycle of domestic abuse – education and support for child and adult victims, enabling perpetrators to recognise the impact of and change their behaviour, and raising societal awareness of domestic abuse – while very specifically focusing on support for schools to identify those areas of relationships education (RE), relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education (HE) which offer opportunities to teach about domestic abuse. The Department of Education this year issued new statutory guidance for schools in relation to RE/RSE/HE, which included the need for a commitment for teaching about domestic abuse; Operation Encompass: The Next Steps is designed to help schools deliver on that commitment.

What they say – comments from project leads and the police and criminal justice community

Founder David Carney-Haworth OBE:

“Sadly domestic abuse is prevalent across all tiers of our society and in many cases there are children present in these situations. Research tells us that these children are negatively affected by experiencing that domestic abuse. This scheme brings domestic abuse out into the open and enables schools to show that they will support, without judgement, families and children who are experiencing this abuse.”

Co-Creator Elisabeth Carney-Haworth OBE:

“Operation Encompass is simply one of the best things that has happened in safeguarding in schools during my very long career in education. The information received from the police enables us to truly engage in early intervention which in turn helps us to support our children in the way we need to. Such a simple idea but one with profound impact. And this has been recognised across the education, police and safeguarding sectors.”

Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer:

“The partnership between Operation Encompass and Devon and Cornwall Police has proven to be an essential element for the safeguarding of children and young people experiencing domestic abuse.

“Children exposed to domestic abuse are among the most vulnerable in our society, often harmed physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Having been exposed to domestic violence, a child goes to school the next day often requiring urgent emotional help and assurance but unable to express what they have witnessed and the support they need.

“Operation Encompass is vital to ensuring the true partnership required to safeguard these children, ensuring that police and schools deliver the necessary support at the right time.”

Alison Hernandez, Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner:

“This is the most important Devon and Cornwall Police project – ever!”

Zoe Billingham, the lead on domestic abuse for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), described Operation Encompass as: “So brilliant, so profound, so simple.”

Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Victoria Atkins:

“I am so proud to award funding to this vital initiative. The passion David and Elisabeth have shown in developing Operation Encompass is inspiring and demonstrates how such a simple solution can support so many children.”

World Class Policing Awards 2019 Judges:

“I was really impressed and moved. This deals with a perennial issue that happens behind closed doors, affects generations and has a pernicious effect on society. As a charity/police/education collaboration it’s exceptional, and most importantly it has been sustained. It has now had almost complete UK saturation and has spread to other countries. There are rightly many testimonials of its effectiveness.”

“This is an outstanding example of collaboration with a high impact among vulnerable children and a national reach. It is also a good use of new technology. A relatively simple set of changes around information sharing, but combined with a very impressive focus on good quality training and informed by the latest research (trauma informed practice).”

An Operation Encompass Trustee, reflecting on his own experience of domestic abuse as a child:

“Some say Operation Encompass could save lives. Such grand statements are not necessary. What it does do, is make a child’s day go better. If you are that child, believe me, that’s all that you really want.”

Learning links and references

·      Operation Encompass is highlighted by the UK College of Policing in its Public Protection course video and used as a good practice model.

·      Operation Encompass supports the strategic Home Office policy objectives 1 and 2 of the draft Domestic Abuse Bill:

o 1: raise awareness and challenge assumptions,

o 2: support victims and their children

·      The Department for Education statutory guidance on RE, RSE and HE requires the teaching of healthy, respectful relationships, including domestic abuse, stating that: “Domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour, should be addressed sensitively and clearly.” Operation Encompass: The Next Steps supports schools to meet this statutory requirement.

·      An evaluation study of the interventions and outcomes of Operation Encompass is currently being carried out by the University of Southampton. The study, led by Dr Sara Morgan (a Lecturer in Public Health), will explore consensus on police priorities for future interventions, and the commissioning of services following Operation Encompass.

References[edit]

This article "Operation Encompass" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Operation Encompass. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

Privacy Settings Share 👍🏻 Facebook Facebook Page

🐤 Twitter Follow us on Twitter !