Victim Services

Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales were given the power and budget to determine local victims' services in 2012. Annually, the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner receives a Victim Services Support Grant from the Secretary of State for Justice to provide or commission local victim support services to ensure that victims of crime are able to receive and access the support they need to cope with, and as far as possible recover, from the effects of crime. Within the Gwent Police and Crime Plan 2021-2025 the Commissioner has made supporting victims and protecting the vulnerable a priority. The Service shall support adults and children who have been affected by crime, either as a victim of crime or as a family or friend of a victim of crime. The Service shall provide emotional and practical support to enable Service Users to cope and recover from the harm they have experienced. The primary aim of the Service is to enable adults, children and young people and their supporting family members who have been victims or witnesses of crime to cope with the immediate impact of their experience and recover as fully as they are able from such experiences. The Contractor shall deliver the main objectives of the Service which are to: i. Work with victims to understand the impact of the incident ii. Support victims to address the impact of crime iii. Support and improve victims experience of the criminal justice system iv. Provide trauma informed, needs led support to victims v. Provide a Service that identifies and adapts to a victim's protected characteristics and diversity needs vi. Provide visible, accessible, clear, good quality information about the support options to victims in Gwent vii. Ensuring that mechanisms are in place to listen to and receive feedback from Victims