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Operation Bond

Introduction

Working Together to Safeguard Children highlights that multi-agency working and information sharing is essential to ensure that children and families receive the right help at the right time.

Operation Bond is part of a contextual safeguarding approach which aims to ensure robust information sharing information between Bristol area schools, the local authority and Avon and Somerset Police to respond to incidents of conflict in the community proactively and appropriately.

 

What does it look like?

Once a month a virtual city-wide information sharing briefing will be held in which headline information will be shared by the police regarding recent incidents and current concerns in the community, city-wide. These meetings will be chaired by the Bristol North Central local commander (currently CI Hayward-Melen) or in their absence, a designated senior police officer from Avon and Somerset Police.

The briefings will be an opportunity for two-way information sharing between education providers and statutory agencies (Police and local authority) to support risk assessments and decision making. It will also provide a forum for Police and local authority to update schools on actions taken to address any relevant incidents of violence or disorder involving young people.

Attendees at Operation Bond will not be permitted to share information which can lead to the identification of individual children which could breach our professional duties under the Equality Act (2010) and the Human Rights Act (1998). You are asked to read and agree to the Terms of Reference before you will be invited. 

Operation Bond briefings do not replace existing Local Safeguarding Processes for children who are experiencing criminal exploitation, youth violence, or are involved in anti-social behaviour.

  • Professionals are advised to utilise existing safeguarding arrangements for the reporting of incidents. There are appropriate data protection mitigations at these forums to allow for individual children and incidents can be discussed and where specific actions and interventions for support can be allocated
  • You can use the form on the Community Safety Teams Page to report concerns.

As a result of discussions during Operation Bond briefings, the police and local authority agencies may undertake further enquiries with education settings to determine next steps and response.

 

How to access and sign up. 

Please read and acknowledge the terms of reference. Once you have completed this, your contact details will be added to the invitation list where you will be sent a link to the next Operation Bond meeting. 

DO NOT forward the links of any meeting directly on to colleagues. They will have to read and sign to acknowledge the Terms of Reference before they can attend.