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Support for victims of crime
19/10/2007
Victims of crime will get emotional and practical support much more tailored to their individual needs with the help of a new IT system.
The system is to be developed by Victim Support Scotland with additional funding of £300,000 provided by the Scottish Government.
The system will give victim support staff and volunteers a new toolkit to target the most appropriate support and services to victims. It will be aided by a new feedback system to record the views and experiences of previous victims who have used the services.
This will give victims the support they need more quickly. All victims are to receive a consistent service as staff will be made aware of all of the support options available. Victims will have more input and by tracking and monitoring their own experiences they can be used to develop and improve services.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"Many crimes have a devastating and lasting effect on their victims - there can be physical, emotional and financial effects. It's important to remember that this will depend on the individual and the crime - there is no simple 'one size fits all' solution.
"That's why services need to be sensitive to victims' needs and this investment will enable Victim Support Scotland to improve the services that it provides to victims. It will make sure services are properly targeted and improve responsiveness to the needs of individuals.
"The toolkit will make sure all victims have all of the options available and that their needs can be taken into account when the package of support they receive is decided on.
"While the new feedback system will help use the experiences of those using services to improve and better target them in the future.
"I hope this package of improvements will deliver real benefits by making sure the system can treat people according to their own needs and wants."
David McKenna, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland said:
"Everyone here at Victim Support Scotland is delighted by this substantial and important grant. Next year we will work with up to 200,000 people in Scotland affected by crime.
"Information is a key issue for victims and witnesses. The new IT systems will make an important contribution to a quality service."
VSS receives about 85 per cent of its income from the Scottish Government. The grant is towards the cost of its headquarters, the local victim services and the court based Witness Service.
The investment in computer systems will allow for improved information flow throughout the organisation and allow for better reporting to VSS's board and the Scottish Government.
The feedback model will allow service users to provide views online, and is being designed in conjunction with the Verwey Jonker Institute in the Netherlands and Edinburgh University.