Domestic abuse notifications to schools.
Domestic abuse is any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent behaviour between people in a relationship but it isn’t just physical violence – domestic abuse includes emotional, physical, sexual, financial or psychological abuse.
Abusive behaviour can occur in any relationship. It can continue even after the relationship has ended. Both men and women can be abused or abusers.
Domestic abuse can seriously harm children and young people. Witnessing domestic abuse is child abuse and teenagers can suffer domestic abuse in their relationships. Derbyshire and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership has procedures in relation to the effects on children of domestic abuse and the actions that should be taken.
The impact on children is likely to influence their development and social skills. To promote early support and identification of safeguarding concerns Derbyshire County Council have assisted Derbyshire Police in developing a method whereby the police safely and securely send schools a notification of a domestic incident in Derbyshire where the child attends a Derbyshire school. This will include all incidents of domestic abuse for statutory school aged children when known to the police, so that schools are aware of safeguarding concerns at all levels.
Border police forces have developed similar notifications to schools in their authority. The purpose of the notification is to alert the school so that they can provide advice, care and support to the child in the school and liaise with partner agencies if required.
If your school safeguarding email address has changed, please inform:
Safer Derbyshire is our domestic abuse support and information service in Derbyshire. This site provides information and training for the public and practitioners.