Warwickshire Victims Needs Assessment
Task
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire (OPCC) undertook a comprehensive victims needs assessment to understand the scale and type of support needs victims have, what works, and how to improve the local system through commissioning and strategic actions to meet the needs of victims of crime generally, as well as specifically those who have experienced child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse and violence.
TONIC was commissioned to provide external, independent support with this needs assessment, which sought to answer three key questions:
What support do local victims need and want, and at what scale? Being informed by their experiences of existing provision.
What services do we think will meet these needs and wants, based on evidence of what works?
How should these services be delivered in Warwickshire?
Our Approach
TONIC conducted a survey with 443 Warwickshire residents affected by crime and conducted in-depth interviews with 20 victims. This was supplemented by semi-structured discussions with 7 frontline practitioners and 49 staff at partner agencies in a range of victim-focused services to ensure TONIC had a rounded view of victims’ needs. In addition, TONIC gathered a range of data from local agencies and national sources, including service activity levels, service performance data, demand levels, and demographic details. As well, the OPCC team hosted a multi-agency workshop and explored other areas’ delivery models.
Outcome
TONIC summarised both stakeholder and victim's responses, using direct quotes from victims who discussed their own personal experiences of receiving support and the significant barriers to access. In addition, victims expressed their views on where they felt the current gaps are and what an ideal system would look like. Suggestions included the provision of immediate individual support that is not time limited, victims want to feel more respected, validated, and believed by professionals, with clear communication from all agencies with victims about the support process. Multiple gaps in the current provision were identified; such as, a lack of mental health and housing support for victims and limited step-down support at the end of court cases. These views informed 5 key recommended areas for action to improve support for victims in Warwickshire. These emphasised the need for equality of access to all victims who need support and a system-wide approach with good joint working and shared governance and communication across victims’ justice, emotional and financial support needs.