PCC John Campion has welcomed the Government’s funding announcement to provide specialist support to victims of crime including those of domestic abuse and sexual offences.
As part of the Government’s promise to quadruple funding for victims, it has allocated £8.3 million to a diverse range of organisations across England and Wales to provide counselling, training and community outreach to local residents in need.
A £1.2 million training programme has also been launched for Independent Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Advisors (IDVAs) to provide emotional and practical support to survivors.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “I welcome this funding announcement from the Home Office. As Commissioner, I am committed to putting victims and survivors first as set out in my Safer West Mercia Plan.
“Domestic abuse, rape and other sexual offences are sadly too common and it’s the role of organisations across society to address it.
“Here in West Mercia, I am determined to play my part and continue to invest in services like West Mercia Women’s Aid and Cranstoun, to tackle crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls.
“To the tune of £3.3 million I have funded, alongside the Ministry of Justice, a number of IDVAs who provided specialist advice and support to 1,391 victims and survivors across the three counties in 2022/23.
“The Government’s move to make significant funding available is another example of vital investment being made to boost local services who are providing tailored support to victims to help them cope and recover.”
The Home Office update can be found here.
