Funding is provided on an annual basis by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to me to support work with victims of crime and their families which I have used to commission services through my Supporting Victims Fund. I receive this allocation based on a population formula, which in Northumbria for the 2022-23 year means a grant of £1,848,229.74. I will also be receiving funding over the next three years (2022-23) from the MoJ for additional domestic abuse and sexual violence support service provision, including additional Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) provision – a total of ££1,329,399.26 has been awarded for 2022-23.
If you are a victim of crime or have been in the past and require support, please take time to read the document below which includes a list of organisations I have funded and the support they can offer you.
Grants and Awards 2022/23
In addition to the MoJ funding where the allocation is specifically for victims of crime, I can also make grants as outlined in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2012 to contribute to securing crime and disorder reduction in the area.
A full list of every grant I have made in 2022-23 can be found by accessing the following link:
My Violence Reduction Unit also makes grants. More information can be found here.
You can access the list of organisations funded through Operation Payback Fund, my most recent fund, here.
Northumbria Victim and Witness Service
In 2022-23, £800,000 has been awarded to Northumbria Police to deliver the core victim service – Northumbria Victim and Witness Service, which will completely revitalise the victim referral process and service for victims of crime in Northumbria. Northumbria Victim and Witness Service victims of crime and their family to cope and recover from the impact of crime.
The support provided to all victims, both who report to the police and those who do not falls generally into four broad categories;
- Initial emotional and practical support including signposting
- More detailed/longer term emotional and practical support including restorative justice and support through-out a court process
- Support and referral to specialist services that can help a victim cope and recover
You can find out more about the Northumbria Victim and Witness Service by visiting their website.
Supporting Victims Fund 2022-23
The PCC’s Supporting Victims Fund was first launched in 2015 to strengthen the overall offer of support to victims in Northumbria and improves and widens the specialist services available to our most vulnerable and priority victims. Priority victims are those that are entitled to an enhanced support service under the Victims Code of Practice, Victims Charter and the EU Directive for Victims of Crime.
The PCC’s Supporting Victims Fund was first launched in 2015 to strengthen the overall offer of support to victims in Northumbria and improves and widens the specialist services available to our most vulnerable and priority victims. Priority victims are those that are entitled to an enhanced support service under the Victims Code of Practice, Victims Charter and the EU Directive for Victims of Crime.
My assessment for the 2022-23 year builds on our understanding of services, demand and need since 2015 and is based upon Northumbria wide and local strategic assessments identifying levels of crime, new and emerging crimes, issues facing our area where victim needs may arise and also local research and consultation with victims groups, community safety partnerships and service providers.
The key themes within the Supporting Victims Fund this year are:
- Domestic abuse
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Young people and child victims
- Victims of hate crime
- Victims with mental health needs
- Victims with other vulnerabilities
A range of grant awards have been made as part of the PCCs Supporting Victims Fund and the list of supported groups and organisations is included within the list of funded groups at the top of this page.
You can view the terms and conditions document of the Supporting Victims Fund grants by clicking on the following link.
Anti-Social Behaviour Support for Victims
All six Local Authority areas are supported to introduce schemes to strengthen the support available for victims of ASB across Northumbria. In 2022-23, a grant of £5,000 has been awarded to each of the six Local Authorities in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear to enhance the service to victims of ASB and ensure they have access to services to assist and support them cope and recover.
Monitoring and evaluation
All grants have been awarded with the agreement that output and outcome monitoring information will be provided quarterly with regular grant surgeries to discuss performance and practical delivery to ensure the work delivered through the grant meets expectations. A summary impact of the OPCC grants programme will be reported in my Annual Report 2022-23.