Relaunched scheme supports thousands of victims of crime

Victim First has taken on a dynamic new format that includes a new telephone and triage support service, ongoing trauma-trained phone and face-to-face support and specialist help for young people aged under 18 and between 19 and 24.

The success of this new service can be judged by the fact that in the 12 months following its relaunch, a total of 16,134 referrals were received with 677 referrals from victims aged under 18 - a key focus of the new service.

Positive contact has been made with a victim in 10,459 cases with the overall positive satisfaction rate currently standing at 97.5 per cent.

Additionally, there were 64 individual victims in the past 12 months who engaged in Restorative Justice conversations while 53 victims had a Restorative Justice outcome.

Another major new feature has been the immediate mobilisation of community resources to serious incidents.

Support was provided to four incidents, including the murder in New Parks in May, and in response to the disorder and unrest experienced across the country last summer.

This included support to witnesses as well as those who were directly affected.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Rupert Matthews, commented: "The redefined service is showing benefits to those who need help at a time of great stress.

"I'm particularly pleased to see the direct impact these services are having on mental health and wellbeing.

"This has been confirmed by ongoing positive feedback from victims themselves who have talked about feeling more validated and better able to cope with their experiences following help.

"The criminal justice system can be an extremely daunting experience. It is essential we make the journey easier by listening and learning from those who have used our services."

Manjeeta Sunnar-Atwal, head of service for Victim First said: "At Catch22, we are proud to work alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver Victim First - a service that places compassion, accessibility, and individual need at its heart.

"Over the past year, we've supported thousands of people across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland to feel heard, validated, and empowered in the aftermath of crime.”