Darlington Young People’s Engagement & Justice Service’s victim support
Summary:
Darlington Young People’s Engagement and Justice Service (YPEJS) endeavour to deliver a flexible and bespoke response to all victims of crime in the area. The service has shared its victim assessment tool and accompanying prompt sheet to use with victims of crime to offer support and signpost to relevant services.
Description:
Darlington’s Victim Liaison Officers (VLOs) contact all victims of crime to offer a variety of support pathways. If a victim accepts support, staff complete an assessment of impact and need to ensure they provide victims with appropriate support. This could include emotional support, restorative approaches, case updates, referrals to other agencies, sharing impact statements or just being a ‘listening ear’.
The service has found that case updates, impact statements and being a listening ear are the most often used types of support for victims of crime.
Alongside the tool, VLOs also use the YJB’s Prevention & Diversion Assessment Tool to inform their assessments.
Victims of crime under the age of 18, of both crimes committed by children and adult crimes (upon referral) will receive the same offer of support but with some supplementary offers for victims of adult crimes. These include emotional resilience interventions, created alongside a consultant psychologist, physical activities, the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme, group support, 1:1 support and parenting support.
Referral routes for victims of adult crimes
- Early intervention and prevention – anti-social behaviour, community resolutions, the Shopwatch scheme
- Referrals from Victim Care and Advice Service (VCAS)
- Police out-of-court-disposal files
- Bail to court files and court files
- Cases where the service’s victim support will not be involved
- Children’s homes and care homes
- Schools via upfront restorative justice requests and ongoing updates
Contact:
| Name | Leanne Hopper, Team Manager |
| Leanne.Hopper@darlington.gov.uk |