OPCC Commissioned Service's
Victim Support
Victim Support is commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner to provide a general support service for all victims of crime in the county.
The service provides appropriate support to help victims and witnesses move forwards following an incident, whether or not it is reported to the police.
Their service supports victims of a variety of crimes, including:
- Burglary
- Hate Crime
- ASB
- Cyber Crime
- Violence which is not domestic abuse or sexual
- Vulnerable persons
Please note: Refuge, Safeline and West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network are the services commissioned to support those who are or have experienced domestic abuse, sexual violence and modern slavery.
Hear more about the role of Victim Support and the help they provide to victims in Warwickshire in Grace's video, below.
Victim Support General OPCC Commissioned Service - YouTube
Key Information
Victim Support can receive direct referrals via Athena or automatic data transfer
For anyone outside of the force, or without access to Athena, you can call 01926 358060. Lines are open 9am - 5pm Monday-Friday.
If you need telephone support outside of your local team's opening hours, you can call our Supportline, for free, on 08 08 16 89 111. Supportline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can also request support via their website. A member of the team will get back to you within three working days.
Supporting young victims
Victim Support are also commissioned to deliver specialist support for young people aged 5 to 17 who have experienced or seen a range of issues, including domestic abuse, hate crime, burglary, bullying, anti-social behaviour and assaults.
They deliver specialist domestic abuse support for young people offering toolkits, 1:1 support and group activities. They also have a multi-crime offer which provides a young person with practical support to recover from what they may have been through.
Hear from Victim Support's CYP Team Leader Jane in the video below to find out more about their service for young people in Warwickshire.
Victim Support CYP OPCC Commissioned Service - YouTube
Key Information
The Victim Support CYP offer is for those aged 5 to 17. For those over 18, Victim Support are commissioned to provide support to all victims and witnesses of crime.
To refer a child or young person to this service, contact the team on 01926 358060.
You can also refer somebody via CJSM or Athena.
Additional information can be found on the Victim Support website.
Safeline
Safeline is commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner to provide support for victims and survivors of sexual abuse and violence in Warwickshire.
Safeline is a specialist charity that works to prevent sexual abuse and support those affected to cope and recover. Their vision is that everyone affected by, or at risk of, sexual abuse should feel supported and empowered.
The team provide person-centred, trauma informed support to survivors in Warwickshire as the commissioned service for sexual violence recovery. As part of their offer, they have an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA), who provides independent practical support to those who have experienced sexual abuse - regardless of whether a crime has been reported or not. ISVAs also provide ongoing support to those going through the criminal justice system.
Hear more about what the service deliver in the video below from Liz, their Head of National Services.
Safeline OPCC Commissioned Service - YouTube
Key Information
For all services, call 01926 402498.
Referral forms can also be found on the Safeline website, including ones to self-refer.
More information can be found on their website.
Warwickshire BASE (Barnardo’s)
Warwickshire BASE is a specialist service working in partnership with Warwickshire Police and Warwickshire County Council to support children and young people at risk of, or affected by, child sexual or criminal exploitation.
As providers of this service, Barnardo's work with 11-18 year olds (or up to 25 for those with additional needs), offering direct work sessions that are centred around the young person. They also work one-to-one with parents and carers to support them to develop knowledge and understanding of how to recognise and respond to child exploitation.
They also provide training and awareness raising programmes to professionals, those working or may come into contact with children and young people.
More information about the local service offer can be found in the video from Becky, below:
Barnardo's OPCC Commissioned Service - YouTube
Key Information
If you are worried about a child, young person, parent or carer in the context of exploitation, please refer them to the service.
Email: rupertstreetadmin@barnardos.org.uk or call 0121 359 5333.
You can also contact the team to enquire about any training needs you or your teams may have around the topic of exploitation.
Restorative Justice
Under the Victims Code, any victim of crime in Warwickshire is entitled to access restorative justice services.
Restorative Justice brings those harmed by crime into communication with those responsible for crime. The Police and Crime Commissioner funds Victim Support to deliver restorative justice services in the county, as part of a wider contract for services for victims of crime.
For the victim of a crime, restorative justice gives a chance for them to have their say, get answers to their questions and to move on with their lives.
For offenders, restorative justice gives an insight into the real impact of their behaviour and an opportunity to make amends.
Restorative justice can be used for all types of crime as long as both parties are willing to take part and the person who has caused the harm is remorseful and accepts they are responsible for the harm.
If a case is going to go to court, restorative justice cannot take place during the police investigation, but can be done after sentencing. For cases that do not go to court, restorative justice can occur earlier and can sit alongside an Out of Court Disposal.
Find out more about Restorative Justice from Mike and Jenni in the video below.
Restorative Justice OPCC Commissioned Service - YouTube
Key Information
Restorative Justice accept referrals from all professionals working with either the victim or the harmer.
Police can either refer via Athena, by tasking the Restorative Justice Team or emailing rjwarwickshire@victimsupport.org.uk
You can also call 07719 567571 to speak to the team with any queries you may have.