At Eastcroft Park Primary School children learn in a safe, caring and enriching environment. Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, to develop positive and healthy relationships and how to avoid situations where they might be at risk including by being exploited. The school also has a statutory responsibility to share any concerns it might have about a child in need of protection with other agencies and in particular police, health and children’s services. Schools are not able to investigate concerns but have a legal duty to refer them. In most instances the school will be able to inform the parents/carers of its need to make a referral. However, sometimes the school is advised by children’s services or police that the parent/carer cannot be informed whilst they investigate the matter. We understand the anxiety parents/carers understandably feel when they are not told about any concerns from the outset. The school will always follow legislation and Local Safeguarding Children’s Board procedures that aim to act in the interests of the child. The school will always seek to work in partnership with parents and other agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child and family.

Policies and related documents can be found on our policies page.

Operation Encompass

Operation Encompass is a police and education early information safeguarding partnership enabling schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

Operation Encompass ensures that there is a simple telephone call or electronic notification to a school’s trained Designated Safeguarding Lead /Officer (known as Key Adult) prior to the start of the next school day after an incident of police attended domestic abuse where there are children related to either of the adult parties involved. 

Information is shared with a school’s Key Adult (Designated Safeguarding Lead or Officer) prior to the start of the next school day after officers have attended a domestic abuse incident. This sharing of information enables appropriate support to be given, dependent upon the needs and wishes of the child.

Children are negatively impacted by experiencing domestic abuse and without early intervention and support this negative impact can last through a child’s life course.  Domestic abuse can impact upon social, psychological, physical, emotional and behavioural outcomes with an often negative impact upon a child’s academic success. Experiencing domestic abuse has been identified as an Adverse Childhood Experience.

Operation Encompass aims, by directly connecting police and schools, to secure better outcomes for children , to enable schools to better understand the impact living with domestic abuse has upon children, to help schools to better understand  a child’s living experience and to therefore be able to support and nurture each child , making a child’s day better and giving them a better tomorrow.