Issue details

The Greater Manchester Harm Reduction Partnership (St Mary’s SARC, We Are Survivors and Greater Manchester Rape Crisis) have developed a joint approach to reducing trauma and harm for victims, their family and friends -who have been subject to delayed, vacated and adjourned trials because of the Crown Court Backlog.

This approach sees GM organisations work together as a trauma-informed system, in the best interests of victims and survivors. It is based on inter-operability and a shared understanding of the importance sustaining capability and capacity across the workforce.

Using a Trauma Informed Harm Reduction Approach to:
• Strengthen Workforce Capability & Capacity
• Expand Victim-led Resilience Responses
• Enable Family and Friends Support Networks
• Deliver System Interoperability
• Advocate for change with a collective voice.
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To develop a GM System will take time and commitment from all partners.
The ambition is to create a sustainable workforce and develop skills and expertise.

Matching pay grades across the health service and voluntary sector will be challenging, but it is achievable over time, with a structured approach.
The aim is to develop a different cohort of staff to ISVAs but at a similar grade to:
• Allow ISVAs to concentrate on their main role.
• Create career pathways to mitigate staff attrition.
• Develop a system-wide sustainable model of interventions.
• Increase support to families and peer networks.

An evaluation will be undertaken over the course of the two years. Project leads will allow the development of a triage system for referrals between services based on

Capacity
• Caseloads.
• Family networks fatigued.
• Vacated cases.
Capability
• Focus on CJS navigation – not the person.
• High levels of mental unwellness and crises.
• Attrition – feeling unsafe.

Therefore, impacts will be measured on waiting lists and caseloads, feelings of safety and levels of trauma.