Victims’ Bill consultation response

Our response to the consultation in December 2021 on the upcoming Victims’ Bill and improving victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system across England and Wales.

VAWG touches almost every area of Government and we want to see a pan-Government response. People who speak about their experiences should be believed, validated and their experience valued as expertise. Throughout this consultation, it is vital that the Government listens to the voices of survivors and provides ample opportunities for them to share their expertise, co-create solutions and continue their work in pushing for change.

We cover key issues for domestic abuse victims and survivors, and services, in the incoming legislation:

• Survivor voice in commissioning – co-creating solutions and approaches
• A duty to provide community based services, including sufficient Idvas to meet the needs of all victims at the highest risk of serious harm or murder, and sustainable funding to enable this
• Commitments to support small specialist services as well as larger services, to ensure the needs of all victims, including people with protected characteristics and those who might be less visible to services, are fully met
• A public health approach to addressing domestic abuse
• Services which meet the needs of the whole family
• Greater understanding of domestic abuse across all frontline responders, through cultural change training
• Long-term, sustainable funding