APCC welcomes new guidance for victim support services
New guidance to help those who commission services to support victims of crime has been published.
The new Victim Services Commissioning Guidance has been developed jointly by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and the Ministry of Justice.
It includes specific information on collaboration and co-commissioning, support for child victims and those from marginalised groups, and examples of best practice and advice to support sound decision-making.
Victims’ Minister Alex Davies-Jones said victim support services are in many ways “the backbone of the justice system”.
“Halving violence against women and girls is a landmark mission of this Government. But where these horrific crimes do happen, we want every victim to know they can access the right support to help them rebuild their lives,” said Ms Davies-Jones.
“When victims know they will be heard, helped and taken seriously, confidence in the justice system grows – empowering more victims to come forward and see through their cases, so we can bring more criminals to justice.”
She added: “Most victims need at least some level of support to recover from what has happened to them, even more so in the worst, most life-altering cases. Some also need help to navigate a system that can be complex and confusing.
“In many ways, victim support services are the backbone of the justice system – ensuring that victims can access whatever support they need, wherever they are in the process.”
The APCC’s joint leads for victims, Lisa Townsend and Clare Moody, said: “We welcome the publication of the guidance to support police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in the commissioning of local support services for victims of crime.
“Advocating for survivors and victims and ensuring the right services are in place to help them cope with the devasting impact of crime and rebuild their life is a central part of our role.
“PCCs are committed to delivering quality services and along with their staff dedicated to this activity, they are uniquely placed to work with local support services and statutory partners to understand victim needs.
“Specialist support is needed to help survivors heal from the harm of domestic abuse and sexual violence and where appropriate, services will help them navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system. Through our ability to bring together partners, we can work together to develop solutions which aim to achieve better outcomes for our local communities.”
They added: “Whilst this guidance will certainly help with our approach to commissioning effective local services, we recognise the very real challenges brought about by short term and reduced funding, as well as the need to improve survivors’ experiences of the criminal justice system.
“We will continue to drive wider conversations on how best to address those issues whilst amplifying victims’ voices and delivering quality services they need and deserve.”
Ms Davies-Jones said the work done by PCCs – as well as Integrated Care Boards, local authorities, and other local partners – to support the commissioning of victim support services was “invaluable”.
“That’s because they understand what their communities need and can both plan and commission the right services,” she said.
“The Victims Funding Strategy was published in May 2022, and included a pledge to review and refresh existing guidance to reflect updated priorities and changing funding models. This guidance delivers on that promise.
“This document aims to enable local commissioners to achieve national commissioning standards and reflect this Government’s priorities.
“The guidance captures the breadth of depth of services for victims as they exist today, taking account of how they have developed over the last decade – a contemporary guide to commissioning and developing better services for victims.
“Supporting victims properly strengthens our justice system to get the right outcomes. That doesn’t just mean more victims get the justice they deserve. It allows the system to convict more offenders, prevents further crime and, ultimately, reduces the number of victims there are in the future.
“This guidance will support those commissioning services for victims at the local level to raise standards in the pursuit of those crucial aims.”