Issue details

The pilots have been running for a year and the evaluation of the project (which is attached to this decision notice) demonstrates the added value delivered by the DA Crisis worker pilot which includes:

• Positive Victim/Survivor feedback
• Better co-ordination of support to DA Victims/Survivors
• Freeing police officers to respond more effectively to the crime
• Assisting the triage process for IDVA teams

One of the crisis workers gave this insight on the project:
“People aren’t always in a position to make a statement or to go ahead with a criminal conviction; either because they’re frightened of the process or it’s a family member or they’re in a position where they don’t want to prosecute the perpetrator. Being able to offer some alternatives when this situation arises, to talk about safety plans, or being able to offer some sort of intervention that doesn’t form part of that formal process has been really worthwhile. I think once you listen to them and you let them know their options, about how we can support them in court or provide some special
measures to be put in place, I think the client really appreciates that they have been listened to and offered options that are not a one size fits all solution.”

The evaluation of the first year of the pilot project was presented to the GBV Board at its meeting in June this year and the GBV Board agreed to extend the life of the pilot by a further year to provide a useful cost-effective model for the future delivery of support services to Victims/Survivors of Domestic Abuse. It was felt that the DA crisis pilot approach could provide a beneficial adjunct to IDVA provision across GM.

A further evaluation of the second year of the pilot will be undertaken by the GMCA Principal Researcher for Police, Crime and Fire. Areas this evaluation will consider are the levels of victim satisfaction, the reduction in victim attrition, the ‘capture’ of victims that are overlooked if they choose not to proceed with a criminal justice solution or otherwise fall out of the system. This second evaluation will also consider the impact of the Crisis pilot project on the IDVA service – this stems from the Head of one of the IDVA services involved in the pilot stating - that if offered an additional IDVA or the provision of a crisis pilot worker which one she would opt for and her response was the crisis pilot worker without a doubt.

We anticipate key outcomes of the pilots being:
• Easier and more effective way of engaging victims with DAV services. Improved service for victims.
• Improved partnership working between police and support services.
• Improved immediate access to support services for victims.
• Reduced pressure on police time and resources.
• Smoother and more appropriate referral to other services.
• Reduction in demand on IDVA services