The Green Ark Children's centre and six local schools are taking part in Operation Encompass, which will see police and head teachers share information on children that they believe have been affected by domestic violence. Key adults will then work with both the child and the parents to tackle the problems at home.
Sergeant David Carney Haworth, organiser of Operation Encompass, said, 'Domestic abuse has a huge impact on children who witness it and yet they are often overlooked. By the time the schools know about it the child has already caused disruption or missed vital learning.
He said that almost half of the domestic incidents that had taken place in the past year in the Devonport and Stoke areas of the city involved children.
'Our aim is to notify schools the day after an incident occurs so that the child can be supported at school and minimise the disruption to their life,' he added.
As part of the pilot, a police community support officer will spend time in each of the schools and settings every week to help build a relationship between children and the police and offer the child a safe place.
The schools and settings have been given training by Abigail Sterne and Catherine Lawler, authors of Domestic Violence and Children: A Handbook for Schools and Early Years Settings, looking at the dynamics behind domestic abuse and how growing up in an abusive environment can affect children. Around 90 per cent of domestic abuse in households with children takes place while children are in the same or next room.