It is essential for victims’ and witnesses’ needs and wellbeing to be placed at the heart of the criminal justice system, Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Ellis, says.
His comments follow a new national report by the Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA) that highlighted the shortcomings of the Crown Court system which, the report claims, leave victims and witnesses feeling marginalised. Supporting victims and witnesses is one of four priorities in Mr Ellis’ Safer, Fairer United Communities strategy for more local, effective policing and community safety in the county. A new approach to supporting victims and witnesses in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent was launched on September 1. More than and 5,600 individuals have been offered help in its first month alone. The Staffordshire Victim Gateway is the first of its kind in the country to offer a locally-based approach, providing a tailored service for victims.
For the first time support is being offered to all victims of crime, even if the crime has not been reported to police. This means the Gateway will double the number of people offered help from 23,000 to approximately 50,000 a year. Victims can get timely advice and emotional and practical support in the way that suits them best, whether over the phone or face to face.
Mr Ellis said: “For too long the very services that are there to support victims and witnesses have been anything but user friendly, meaning the experience people have of the courts and criminal justice system can be as taxing and traumatic as the original incident. “It’s about putting the victims at the heart of the system, meaning that they are treated as individuals, and avoiding duplication by joining up multiple services regarding victims. “We’re changing things in Staffordshire through the new Victims Gateway which will make sure the system fits the victim rather than the victim having to fit around the system. “As this report shows, we must have a whole-system approach across services from the moment a crime happens to its conclusion in court, otherwise we are failing those who need help the most.”
Mr Ellis has also provided an update on progress towards achieving the key aims of the Safer, Fairer United Communities strategy. The updated was presented to the Police and Crime Panel at a hearing at the Civic Centre in Stoke-on-Trent on November 4.
The CJA report was also referred to during the Police and Crime Panel meeting. The Staffordshire Victims Gateway was launched by Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales Baroness Newlove in September. A Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) consortium led by Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent CAB won a three-and-half-year contract from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Staffordshire to develop the Gateway which offers free advice and support to victims, witnesses and their families. More information is available at www.staffsvictimsgateway.org.uk or by ringing 0330 0881 339.
