Voice for Victims and Witnesses, the free, confidential support service for victims and witnesses of crime in Northamptonshire is to safeguard the provision of domestic abuse support in the county by incorporating the Sunflower Centre into its services.
The Sunflower Centre provides specialist support to the highest risk victims of domestic abuse and is a partnership-funded service, with funding from the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and others including the district and borough councils.
The move comes on the second anniversary of Voice being taken in-house to the Commissioner’s Office in October 2017.
Since then, contact rates and service levels for victims and witnesses have continued to improve.
In August 2019, Voice contacted 98.9% of over 3,000 victims of crime within a 72-hour window, at the same time as providing regular, ongoing emotional support to over 275 victims of crime, anti-social behaviour and road harm incidents.
Stephen Mold said: “Putting victims at the heart of justice is one of the cornerstones of my Police and Crime Plan and I’m confident that by incorporating the Sunflower Centre into its services, Voice is ensuring that we continue to deliver the support needed by some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
