One Darlington - March 2022
March 2022 edition of One Darlington - the partnership magazine delivered to homes across Darlington for free.
March 2022 edition of One Darlington - the partnership magazine delivered to homes across Darlington for free.
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Helping victims’<br />
voices be heard<br />
Joy Allen, Durham Police and Crime<br />
Commissioner, welcomes some special new<br />
recruits to her team.<br />
“After only six months in my role I appointed three<br />
new safety champions to my team to strengthen<br />
the voice of victims of crime. The new recruits,<br />
who comprise an independent domestic abuse<br />
champion, an anti-social behaviour champion<br />
and a victims champion, are working alongside<br />
me to ensure planning, policy and commissioning<br />
decisions reflect the needs and views of victims of<br />
crime.<br />
The new recruits, who took up their posts in early<br />
January, will also ensure local victims of crime<br />
have the opportunity to engage on issues or<br />
concerns that impact them and will be responsible<br />
for ensuring that I have a greater depth of<br />
understanding of victims’ experiences. This will help<br />
me prioritise resources and interventions as part of<br />
my Police and Crime Plan.<br />
I have listened very carefully to local people when<br />
they have told me the areas they would like to see<br />
improved and this has driven the creation of these<br />
new roles. Our new champions will independently<br />
scrutinise our current provision and performance<br />
and will ensure we work much more closely with<br />
the people our services benefit making any change<br />
real and tangible.<br />
Their appointment will also boost the way in which<br />
I hold the force to account as I will ensure that<br />
the victims’ voices are heard at the highest level.<br />
Everything I do as commissioner has to make the<br />
lives of local people – especially victims of crime<br />
and anti-social behaviour – better and safer. I can<br />
only do that by listening to and involving the people<br />
who need and benefit from that help.”<br />
Andrea Patterson,<br />
anti-social behaviour<br />
champion, Joy Allen,<br />
Christine Mackay,<br />
domestic abuse and<br />
survivors’ champion<br />
and Michael Banks,<br />
victims’ champion<br />
Dame Vera Baird, the Victims’ Commissioner<br />
for England & Wales, said: “I have been<br />
encouraging all PCCs to appoint local victims’<br />
champions – dedicated professionals committed<br />
to deepening the understanding of victim needs<br />
and ensuring that the victim’s voice is heard in<br />
all local policy making and decisions.<br />
“It’s great to see that this vision is becoming a<br />
reality in Durham. I look forward to engaging<br />
with these champions and I hope this will be<br />
a model for PCCs across England & Wales to<br />
emulate.”<br />
38 www.durham-pcc.gov.uk