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| London Victims and Witnesses Service | |
|---|---|
| Name | London Victims and Witnesses Service |
| Type | Charity; Victim support service |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region | Greater London |
| Services | Victim support; witness assistance; counselling; advocacy |
London Victims and Witnesses Service provides specialist support to people affected by crime and traumatic incidents across Greater London. The service offers practical, emotional and advocacy assistance to victims and witnesses, liaising with criminal justice bodies and partner agencies to help people navigate investigations, prosecutions and recovery. It operates alongside statutory institutions and voluntary organizations to improve outcomes for survivors and those who give evidence.
The service was established in the context of reforms to victim services following high-profile inquiries and policy changes such as the Victims' Code (England and Wales), debates after incidents like the 2011 England riots, and recommendations from reviews including the Crawley Review. Its development involved collaboration with local authorities such as the City of London Corporation, borough councils like Hackney London Borough Council and Lambeth London Borough Council, and national bodies including the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. Early pilots drew on models from charities such as Citizens Advice, Victim Support, Barnardo's, and mental health providers like Mind. The organisation’s formative years intersected with high-profile cases covered by institutions including the Crown Prosecution Service, Metropolitan Police Service, and advocacy groups such as Justice (campaign group). Influential reports from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and recommendations from the Independent Office for Police Conduct shaped policies.
The service provides a range of interventions similar to those delivered by Samaritans, Rape Crisis, and Refuge. Core offerings include emotional support inspired by practice from St John Ambulance psychological first aid training, one-to-one counselling aligned with approaches used by Relate and Cruse Bereavement Support, and practical advocacy akin to Rights of Women and Victim Support. Specialist programs address sexual offences with expertise mirroring NSPCC services, domestic abuse responses comparable to Women's Aid and Refuge shelters, and hate crime support paralleling work by Stop Hate UK. Witness care teams coordinate with court services such as Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service and prosecution teams like the Crown Prosecution Service. The service implements restorative practices influenced by Restorative Justice Council guidelines and provides tailored assistance for young people similar to interventions by Young Minds and The Prince's Trust. It also offers multi-lingual support reflecting models used by Refugee Council and specialist outreach inspired by Stonewall and Galop for LGBTQ+ survivors.
Eligibility criteria align with statutory entitlements under frameworks used by Victim Support and guidance from the Ministry of Justice. Referrals originate from law enforcement bodies including the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police, health services such as NHS England and Public Health England, social services in boroughs like Southwark London Borough Council, and voluntary organisations including Shelter and Centrepoint. Self-referrals mirror access routes used by Mind and helplines run by Samaritans. The intake and triage process interfaces with criminal justice pathways involving the Crown Prosecution Service and court listings managed by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, ensuring victims and witnesses receive appropriate levels of support, including special measures under provisions modeled on practices endorsed by the Equality Act 2010’s public sector duties.
Governance structures reflect best practice from charities such as Joseph Rowntree Foundation, with a board of trustees drawing on expertise from organisations like Barrow Cadbury Trust and Big Lottery Fund-supported projects. Funding streams include grants from bodies comparable to the Mayor of London’s fund initiatives, commissioning from local authorities including Wandsworth London Borough Council, and contracts with national agencies like the Ministry of Justice. The service has engaged in competitive tendering processes overseen by commissioners similar to those in the London Councils framework and has received philanthropic support reminiscent of donations to Wellcome Trust-backed community programmes. Financial oversight follows charity governance guidance produced by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Partnerships span statutory bodies such as the Metropolitan Police Service, Crown Prosecution Service, and NHS England as well as voluntary organisations including Victim Support, Women's Aid, Rape Crisis, Refugee Council, Mind, Citizens Advice, Samaritans, and Stonewall. Collaborative projects have linked with academic institutions like King's College London, University College London, and London School of Economics for research and evaluation. Community outreach parallels campaigns by groups such as PACE (Parents Against Child Exploitation), Stop Hate UK, and Missing People, delivering training to borough councils, housing associations like Peabody Trust, and schools in partnership with Department for Education initiatives. The service contributes to multi-agency safeguarding hubs similar to Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) and participates in London-wide strategies coordinated by London Councils and the Mayor of London's office.
Performance metrics use indicators familiar to evaluators at Office for National Statistics and monitoring frameworks employed by Ministry of Justice commissioned services. Reported outcomes include numbers of clients supported, reductions in re-victimisation measured in research methodologies used by University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, and satisfaction rates comparable to customer surveys from Which? and service audits by the National Audit Office. Evaluations have referenced best-practice benchmarks from Home Office guidance and academic studies published through institutions like King's College London and London School of Economics. The service’s aggregated data inform policy discussions in forums alongside representatives from Parliament of the United Kingdom, select committees such as the Justice Committee, and campaign organisations including Liberty and Justice (campaign group).
Category:Charities based in London