Victims of crime have shared how Staffordshire Police and partners can improve the support they offer. Through the local Victims Forum, victims said they wanted to see ‘better communication’, ‘to feel safe and supported’ and ‘more consideration of vulnerabilities, disabilities and additional needs’.
Following this feedback, the Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office, along with Staffordshire Police and other partners, worked with the Victims Forum to better understand what good and bad support looks like for victims.
With this feedback, a number of initiatives have been introduced to improve support for victims including:
- To improve communication between Staffordshire Police and victims, a new system has been introduced for victims of certain crime types, providing them with direct access to updates on their case and enables them to contact the officer in charge before an outcome decision has been made.
- A new process which sets out the minimum expectation of Staffordshire Police and Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) focuses on support for sexual violence victims, aims to improve their engagement with the criminal justice system and supports their recovery from harm.
- Another key improvement ensures victims have the appropriate support before attending court. Staffordshire Police, along with New Era and Staffordshire Women’s Aid, review all high-level cases including domestic abuse and rape and serious sexual offences, to ensure victims’ needs are met and any special measures the victim may require are applied for before attending court. For example, a victim of section 18 wounding, who has complex medical conditions including severe epileptic seizures, would find it extremely difficult to attend court. To ensure the victim was still able to support the trial, Staffordshire Police organised alternative arrangements meaning the victim didn’t have to be present in court.
Staffordshire Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams said: “I am pleased to see the work my office, Staffordshire Police and local support services have done to improve victims’ experience following a crime.
“Crime can have significant impact on victims, and it is important that we support them through what can be an extremely vulnerable and difficult time in their lives.
“We value the feedback received from victims, have listened to what they have told us and have made improvements to how Police and partners operate. We will continue to talk to victims about how we can improve.”
Superintendent Karen Green, head of criminal justice at Staffordshire Police, said: “This initiative is designed to turn feedback into action, ensuring that insights from those with lived experience directly influence our policies, practices and training, helping us to enhance victim care and drive positive change alongside our partners.
“We look forward to continuing this valuable, active and transparent engagement with victims from across our communities.”
