Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews is delivering on his promise to transform the wellbeing of victims of crime, reporting outstanding success on the first anniversary of his new support service.
Victim First was relaunched in a dynamic new format that includes a new telephone and triage support service, ongoing trauma-trained phone and face-to-face support and specialist help for young people aged under 18 and between 19-24.
The success of this new service can be judged by the fact that in the 12 months following its relaunch, a total of 16,134 referrals were received with 677 referrals from victims aged under 18 – a key focus of the new service.
Positive contact has been made with a victim in 10,459 cases with the overall positive satisfaction rate currently standing at 97.5%. Additionally, there were 64 individual victims in the past 12 months who engaged in Restorative Justice conversations while 53 victims had a Restorative Justice outcome.
Another major new feature has been the immediate mobilisation of community resources to serious incidents. Support was provided to four incidents including the murder in New Parks in May and in response to the disorder and unrest experienced across the country last summer. This included support to witnesses as well as those who were directly affected.
The service is already helping the PCC to achieve his Police and Crime Plan mission to deliver for victims and witnesses. Alongside improved victim care and a stronger focus on restorative justice, the service provides victims with more control over their recovery journey to help them live safely and confidently in the future.
Mr Matthews said: “The redefined service is showing benefits to those who need help at a time of great stress. I’m particularly pleased to see the direct impact these services are having on mental health and wellbeing.
“This has been confirmed by ongoing positive feedback from victims themselves who have talked about feeling more validated and better able to cope with their experiences following help.
“Victims and witnesses deserve the very best care and support we can give them. I will do everything I can to help them to get their lives back on track as soon as possible in my ambition to build safe and prosperous communities. This can only happen with the provision of high-quality support that victims trust and believe in, and which is tailored to meet their individual needs.
“The criminal justice system can be an extremely daunting experience. It is essential we make the journey easier by listening and learning from those who have used our services.”
Manjeeta Sunnar-Atwal, Head of Service for Victim First said: "At Catch22, we are proud to work alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver Victim First – a service that places compassion, accessibility, and individual need at its heart. Over the past year, we’ve supported thousands of people across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland to feel heard, validated, and empowered in the aftermath of crime. The high levels of engagement and satisfaction reflect the dedication of our trauma-informed team, and the real difference this service is making to people’s recovery journeys. We look forward to continuing our partnership to ensure every victim, no matter their age or background, receives the support they need to move forward with confidence.”
As part of his Police and Crime Plan commitment to Supporting Victims, the PCC has vowed to ensure his office commissions trauma informed services with input from those with lived experience while making these services easily accessible for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s diverse communities.
He has also pledged to ensure that all who have contact with victims know how to refer people to his support services and to make sure those services are available in accessible formats and multiple languages while ensuring the Force complies with the Victims Code of Practice.
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Posted on Tuesday 24th June 2025