Launch of the Victim Care and Advice Service – Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington 11 th November 2016 VERNA FEE, DURHAM AND CLEVELAND VICTIM SERVICES, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Launch of the Victim Care and Advice Service – Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington 11 th November 2016 RON HOGG, DURHAM POLICE CRIME AND VICTIMS’ COMMISSIONER
Launch of the Victim Care and Advice Service – Cleveland, County Durham and Darlington 11 th November 2016 GRAHAM STRANGE VCAS MANAGER
Main Developments • Staff transferred from Victim Support on the 1.4.16 • All staff were appointed to posts by 8.4.16 • Cloud based Case Management System was in use from the 13.4.16 • Remote working and Flexible working hours • All VCAS Victim Care Officers and Team Leaders operate from Police premises increasing visibility and engagement with operational Police Officers • All VCAS staff have access to Police Crime Recording Systems • VCAS staff are working close to the police but have not surrendered independence or confidentiality
More Developments • Focus on vulnerability - On those that need help to cope with the immediate impact of being a victim of crime and those that need support in their recovery, rather than crime type • Initial telephone contact • VCAS support process • Quarterly output and outcome monitoring reports • Effective accountability structure with the Commissioners
Partner working • Developed relationships and established referral pathways to and from many partners organisations • Recent third party referrals have been made from the Police, the Witness Service, the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Forum, a Community Psychiatric Nurse, local psychiatric Crisis Team, a Head Teacher and Local Authority • We have developed excellent working relationship with : - o Neighbouring victim referral services i.e. Victims First Northumbria and Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire o The National Homicide Service – Victim Support o The Witness Service – Citizens Advice Bureau • On occasions we provide support whilst the victim engages with the other service and on others we refer the victim to the new service and close the case • Many police officers now see VCAS as being part of the solution and are making contact with Victim Care Officers direct to ask for support
Additional Workload that we did not anticipate • Support for families following suspicious deaths that have not been classed as a homicide • Changes in crime recording that has led to an increase in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents being recorded as crimes of harassment • Some of the more complex cases of Anti- Social Behaviour have been referred to VCAS for support • Volume and complexity of fraud cases • Complexity of issues effecting Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Volunteers • Role Profile agreed for VCAS volunteer • 8 volunteers transferred from Victim support to VCAS • Established VCAS volunteer recruiting process and have appointed a further 7 volunteers • Developed and delivered VCAS volunteer training • VCAS volunteers: - o Carry out joint visits with the Victim Care Officers o Provide operational support on behalf of the Victim Care Officers o Act as Quality of Service Champions
Restorative Justice • Developed a process to raise awareness of Restorative Justice for victims of crime to assist in their recovery • Created a separate section on the VCAS Case Management System • Prepared a short film that shows interviews with three victims that have been through the Restorative Justice Process
Action Fraud • All fraud offences are reported nationally to ‘Action Fraud’ • At present Action Fraud forward a list of fraud victims to the local Police at the start of each month • We review this list to search for cases where it is felt that the victim may need some support to assist in their recovery or if it is felt that they are at risk of repeat victimisation • Frauds are committed over the telephone, through email, letter, door step, dating and many other cynical ways. • Many are not reported, people often feel embarrassed, others do not realise that they have been a victim of a fraud and actually believe the fraudster
Action Fraud – Action Taken • Built sound working relationships with Home Instead Care, a service commissioned to provide anti- fraud awareness. In Cleveland we carry their toolkits and issue prevention advice to all victims of crime aged over 60 years regardless of crime type • In Durham we are developing an advice booklet based on ‘The Little Book of Big Scams’ that has been developed by the Metropolitan Police. This will also be used to give preventative advice. • Visited community banks and took part in anti-fraud initiatives • Attended Police Cyber Crime awareness training and received information from Regional Cyber Crime leads • Held meetings with Trading Standards Leads to offer our services to victims that they encounter. • We are taking part in a joint Police / Trading Standards operation to identify residents that appear on a National Priority list • Have worked with the Office of the PCC to create a number of ‘Scam Champions’ to receive training to deliver the National Friends Against Scams awareness.
Findings of initial Victim Needs Assessments The most common victim needs are in connection with them: - • Being emotionally distressed • Living in fear of repeat victimisation • Being socially isolated • Having a negative outlook to recovery This is demonstrated in the following case studies: -
Case Study ‘Claire’ • Claire was a 16-year-old student who was performing well at school and was studying hard for her GCSE’s • She was violently assaulted in the school yard by three other pupils • Her injuries only amounted to bruising and grazing. The non-physical impacts of this crime were much more significant. • The reason for the attack is unclear but believed to be motivated by jealousy • Her ability to concentrate was affected, she was frightened to attend school, she suffered panic attacks, feared re-victimisation and lacked confidence in her ability to sit her exams. • Whilst working with her she also disclosed that she had previously witnessed Domestic Violence upon her mother and had also herself been subject to abuse in a recent relationship .
Case Study ‘Claire’ Support provided Immediate Emotional Support • Personal alarm • Face to face • School Advocacy • Telephone • Extra support was provided at school during • Initial Coping Strategies – Breathing, Colour, examination time Music, Memory • Referral to Witness Service Onward Referral • Police Advocacy • IAPT (Talking Changes) • Referral to IAPT service • CAMHS • Completion of ‘Feeling Graph’ • Harbour (Young Persons Programme) • Provide information on out of school activities Testimonial – Art classes, Dance classes, creative writing “ VCAS helped and supported me through a classes difficult time, you made a difference in my life • Referral to Young Persons Programme that I will always remember ” (Harbour)
Case Study ‘Mary’ • Mary was a 70-year-old female living alone following the passing of her husband a few months earlier • Mary reported to the police that an unknown person had caused damage to her metal railing fence by bending it out of shape • It was identified that Mary was in poor health, felt very isolated, had very little money and poor management of what she did have • As a result of her fence being damaged and local youths ‘hanging around’ she felt that she may be further victimised • She had very little if any support around her • A Police Officer referred Mary to VCAS for support
Case Study ‘Mary’ Immediate Emotional Support Support provided • Face to face • Mary received immediate emotional support • Telephone giving her the opportunity to talk about the issues Practical Support affecting her • Dummy CCTV • Arrangements were made during the initial visit to • Funding and fitting security lighting make a GP appointment and commence support for • Referral to Age UK – financial advice and isolation her ill-health • Support seeking medical support • Age UK provided support with regard to the Onward Referral • Age UK financial concerns and Mary has now been on a ‘day GP out’ with them. She enjoyed this and is now Testimonial arranging further engagement with other groups “Mary explained that she is ‘over the moon’ with the • Security lighting has been fitted outside her home support provided and hoped that what had been done and a dummy CCTV has been provided which has would prevent any further issues” given her greater confidence when alone in her home
Case Study ‘Lucy’ • Lucy, is a 46 year old lady of African descent having recently arrived in the UK • She was subject to a prolonged course of action that amounted to a racially aggravated crime, with a female shouting racist abuse at her in the street. • She lived alone and no support network around her, she felt unsafe in public places and began to spend excessive amounts of time in her home rather than risk any further threats or intimidation • The Police had arrested the offender and they had been charged with Racially Aggravated Public Order Offences
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