New victim support system for West Mercia Police
A new support service has been launched to help victims of crime in West Mercia.
The Victim Advice Line, which has been funded by police and crime commissioner John Campion, will be made up of a team of experts who will help the victim when they come through to the service, be it through police, third party or self-referral.
The victim may then be referred onto other specialist services, dependent on the level of support they may need.
Wanting to know if victims of crime felt fully supported, Mr Campion said he had carried out a consultation with a number of people who gave a clear mandate for wanting things to be done differently.
The victims said they wanted a single point of entry into support, quick updates on their case, and greater ownership of their journey – as opposed to being labelled by a type of crime and having a ‘one size fits all’ support package.
Mr Campion said: "Whilst the contract we had with Victim Support was good, in order to provide victims with what they wanted we needed to make some fundamental changes.
“The Victim Advice Line will look at an individual and make sure they’re getting the level of support they need. They won’t be given a pre-determined package, they’ll be given support that is completely tailored to them. By doing this we hope to give victims greater confidence and satisfaction that will help in moving forward with their life.
“The service will also allow better multi-agency working, such as with the police and other support services, which will ensure victims are supported throughout the entire criminal justice system from the very beginning of their journey through to the end.
“The majority of staff that will be working within the Victim Advice Line already have a great deal of experience in supporting victims of crime and their enthusiasm and determination to provide the best service possible is very clear to see.”
Mr Campion said this type of model is being seen as best practice and a flagship across the country in delivering support to victims, having already been adopted by other PCCs and police forces.
