Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 29
29
Accepted
Paragraph: 104
Unify diverse duties and multiple funding streams for effective victim support services
Recommendation
The duties on bodies responsible for commissioning victim support services are complex and they are supported by multiple funding streams. The Government should use the Victims Bill and the guidance provided under the duty to collaborate to draw these different duties and funding models together, to ensure that they work cohesively on the ground. If this legislation simply adds new duties to an already crowded landscape, then it will be incredibly challenging for the relevant agencies to deliver on all pieces of legislation effectively.
Government Response Summary
The government states that the Victims Bill's duty to collaborate and the existing Victims Funding Strategy aim to bring together complex duties and funding models, and it will continue to consider further transparency.
Paragraph Reference:
104
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
46. We recognise that victim support by its nature interlinks with a range of related issues —including community safety, preventing and reducing serious violence, or safeguarding children—which means that there are multiple relevant funding streams and duties. The Bill aims to bring some of these together through this duty to collaborate, so that local areas can improve strategic planning for delivering victim support services. This is supported by the Victims Funding Strategy. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Victims Bill: Government Response 17 47. The Victims Funding Strategy, published in May 2022, is a cross-government strategy that sets out a framework which will improve the way we fund victim support services across government, seeking to better co-ordinate funding to enable victims to receive the support they need, and simplify the funding landscape. The strategy also introduced national commissioning standards, that all commissioners of victim support services are expected to adhere to, as well as core metrics and outcomes to be collected on government funding, which will encourage a comparable quality of service for all victims, and allow better alignment. 48. We will continue to consider how to bring transparency about funding streams and related wider activity.