Achieving positive outcomes for victims and law enforcement

I have written previously about the focus upon domestic abuse, VAWG, modern slavery and victims in general and the rhetoric that has been generated by both the Victim Code and the Domestic Abuse Act. This of course has increased pressure on resources within Police Forces and the relevant agencies.

In the efforts to further improve our victim support platform and provide efficiencies for all the organisations involved with victim support, we have spent a huge amount of time speaking to Local Authorities, the Police, the relevant agencies and victims themselves.

We have attended key agency engagement meetings to include Local Authorities, at both local and national level to discuss the elements of the support that they provide and what a digital solution should look like. The feedback and insight that we took from these discussions provided us with the knowledge of the digital tools required to better support a victim’s journey. This interaction has made it all too apparent that to ensure, even a basic level of support, the Police and the multi-agencies involved need to manage a victims care in a collaborative way.

Challenges for victims

Most importantly, and what threw up the real challenges, were the discussions we had, in detail, with victims, who openly relayed their lived experiences and their often negative experiences around the support they have received.

Speaking to victims provided the most clarity around the current issues preventing adequate support. Those victims talked openly about their experiences and it became clear that without central retention and sharing of documentation, logging of history and real-time cross agency communication gaining the relevant support was frustrating.

Victims have also relayed that the onus is often on them to repeat information, often traumatic and upsetting, to multiple agencies due to there being a dis-connect, often sighting that involved agencies are unaware of the background and which actions have been taken during the pathway of care.  One individual quoted ‘the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing’.  We witnessed this same over-arching opinion throughout victim conversations. This dis-connect only serves to prolong the provision of adequate support and lose faith in the support structure.

Creating a support circle

A solution is required whereby a support circle is created around that victim and communication needs to be in real-time and backed up by a strategic workflow that pushes each partner within the support circle to action their element of support. This collaboration should sit around three pillars of fundamental objectives; Referral, Triage, Case Management.

Referral will see the individual embraced, this could be immediately through rapid video response or by way of referral by an agency, or in fact contact from the victim themselves. The rapid video solution exists here also to allow the early capture of evidence and the provision of immediate response.

At the point of triage the case owner or gatekeeper would access the priority rating. A case can then be securely created which could include a recorded video session with the individual or a referral agency.

Case Management would see the case owner structure the care plan and invite the relevant network of multi-agency support (internal or external) for the individual to effect their element of that support, this then being visible to all agencies providing the important cohesion via the platform. This can include the Police Officers, Medical Professionals, Charities, Modern Slavery Teams, Housing, Children Services etc. Aligning the supporting professionals processes and providing the ongoing sharing of information and any documentation.

Whilst Police may not have a criminal interest at the initial stages of a referral, it is well known that suspects of minor offences often escalate their behaviour and should the point be reached where a serious offence has been committed further down the line, the central retention of all the relevant information up to that point will be of interest to Police, including any early retention of evidence to aid convictions. Importantly, this takes the onus away from the victim to provide this by re-visiting historic conversations and documentation already supplied and potentially scattered amongst different agencies. All this being immediately available for perusal and enabling the painting of the full picture facilitating the building of a case with the view of bringing about a positive outcome for law enforcement.

With the revelation from various studies, that victims, particularly of domestic abuse, have previously been reluctant to report the often traumatic experiences they have been subject to, multi-agency cohesion can build victim confidence and encourage those individuals to step forward, trusting the joined up delivery of support and the potential of not only emotional and physical resolution but a conviction for the offender.

We are passionate about victim support and will continue to engage with all the relevant parties. Our aim is to keep our digital solution relevant and up-to-date, encouraging the essential cohesion of all involved in a victims journey. Putting an end to this dis-connect will create real efficiencies and positive outcomes for victims and law enforcement.

We have been busy providing demonstrations of the platform countrywide to Police Forces and Local Authorities and received a really positive response.  We will be attending our next event, in London, for key partners involved with supporting victims on the 16^th April, where we will be providing a key note speech and will be available to demonstrate the solution and provide further information. Please do get in touch should you wish to obtain the event attendance details.