How sharing boosts support in school
Jo Stephenson
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Information sharing between police and schools improves the support available to young people affected by domestic violence.
Project
Encompass
Purpose
To improve support for children affected by domestic abuse
Funding
Initial funding included £10,000 from the Plymouth Crime and Disorder Reduction Panel
Background
Witnessing domestic abuse can have a huge impact on children and young people. Yet the next day at school, teachers and staff may have no idea what has happened. That is why police and schools in Plymouth joined forces to share information and improve support.
Action
Encompass was piloted in the Devonport area in February 2011. Police went through their overnight call log and identified domestic abuse incidents in households with children. They then called the child's school to inform a nominated person, or "key adult", who decided what action to take. Key adults received training covering topics including the potential impact of domestic abuse, how best to support children and confidentiality issues. Support might include overt help such as having a quiet word or "silent support" such as allowing a child to have their teddy with them all day.
The scheme was so successful, it was rolled out to all schools in Plymouth and is set to be relaunched this autumn with a new structure that will see Plymouth City Council's education welfare team take over responsibility for contacting schools. It will also be extended to 113 pre-school and nursery settings on top of 94 primaries and secondaries.
One beauty of the scheme is it is relatively low cost, explains Sergeant Simon Hardwick, who now co-ordinates the project. "It's about the small things that can make all the difference the following day to how a child is feeling and their ability to share what they are feeling," he says.
The scheme is now led by a multi-agency steering group that includes the police, local authority, head teachers and domestic abuse support organisations.
Outcome
Fifteen schools were involved in the pilot phase including two secondary schools, 12 primaries and one nursery and infant school. The trial ran for 322 days and during that time 222 domestic abuse incidents were recorded with 352 children and young people aged four to 16 present. All 352 received some form of support when arriving at school the next day.
Organisers believe the scheme has the potential to support an estimated 8,600 Plymouth children affected by domestic abuse each year.