AQW 12716/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 30/05/2024
Answered On Date: 11/06/2024
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for his assessment of the emotional support provided to children who are impacted by domestic violence and have been identified by police as part of Operation Encompass, including (i) who is providing this support; (ii) how support is provided; (iii) the success of the outcomes; and (iv) the sustainability of this programme.


Answer:
The support provided through Operation Encompass to children impacted by domestic violence is incredibly important. In the first full year of operation (May 2023 to May 2024) over 18,000 individual notifications have been made to schools and colleges.
Support is provided by a range of sources, with multi-agency working a key feature. Notifications to schools are handled by a school’s safeguarding team, co-ordinated by the Designated Teacher. Any incident of domestic abuse, which has resulted in a notification, is referred to Social Services by police. Ongoing support is provided for the family by Social Services if required. Further assistance is available for schools from the Education Authority Child Protection Support Service (EA CPSS).
To provide tailored care for the child/children, limited information can be shared by the Designated Teacher/Safeguarding Team with the class teacher. Wider oversight is maintained by the Designated Teacher and Safeguarding Team. In all cases, schools will work with the PSNI and Social Services, as appropriate, to address any potential risks.
A survey of Designated Teachers on their experience of Operation Encompass has confirmed that the initiative has been positively received by schools.
The introduction of Operation Encompass has had resource implications for the EA CPSS. To date, funding has been available from the Department of Justice (DoJ) under the Stopping Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse, 2016-2023 Strategy. My officials are continuing to engage with the DoJ to secure funding under the new Domestic and Sexual Abuse 2023-2030 strategy. Options are also being explored regarding the use of technologies to streamline delivery.