22 Sep 2017
Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove launches the Dyfed-Powys Victims’ Engagement Forum
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn had the honour of welcoming Baroness Newlove, Victims’ Commissioner to Dyfed-Powys, to hear about how victims of crime are being supported, working together to ensure victim’s voices are heard and to launch the Victims’ Engagement Forum.
Criminal Justice organisations in Dyfed-Powys are committed to providing services that are fair, supportive, transparent, and at the heart of our services is the victim.
We understand that the prospect of embarking on various stages of the criminal justice process is daunting for victims. Engaging with victims through a variety of channels is key, and will help break down barriers that they face. We will learn from poor experience and celebrate areas of strength. Our aim is to empower victims to feel more in control, and actively seek their help in supporting us to continually improve.
Baroness Newlove said: "Even though I’m here with a title, I’m still Helen, a mum of 3 daughters going through the justice journey. As Victims’ Commissioner I meet Police and Crime Commissioners and victims. It’s about empowering you as victims – emotion is lost, it’s all based on facts, and we need better understanding. We need a better system for you and to hear your voice in a strong way, and to shine a light on good practice. I bring your voice to debates in the House of Lords.
“It was interesting to see first-hand how the Goleudy service helps victims and witnesses with practical and emotional support. It was also really useful to meet local victims and lead on focus groups with them and the various services.”
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “I am grateful to Baroness Newlove for visiting us and for launching the Dyfed-Powys Victims Engagement Forum. I am looking forward to working together more closely to ensure the voices of victims are welcomed and carefully listened to. The needs and rights of victims is embodied in the Victims’ Commissioner role and I am very keen to work alongside her to champion the cause of victims locally and nationally.”
Goleudy is a service commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner that provides anyone affected by crime, regardless of if they’ve reported it to the police, with the support they need to recover from their experience. It offers support to victims and witnesses in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Powys. The crime does not need to have been reported to police before accessing the support available. In fact, one of the roles of Goleudy is to talk to someone about their options if they haven’t reported the crime, talk through what happened to them and how they feel about it.
Goleudy aims to provide a high standard of care for victims and witnesses in the Criminal Justice System. For more information about Goleudy visit www.goleudyvictimandwitnessservice.org.uk
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Notes
What is a Police and Crime Commissioner? PCCs are not the police – as the elected voice of the public, they make the police answerable to the communities they serve. They work in partnership across a range of agencies to ensure a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.
What can they do? PCCs aim to cut crime, deliver an effective and efficient police service, provide stronger and more transparent accountability of the police, hold chief constables and the force to account, ensure community needs are met as effectively as possible and improve local relationships. Day-to-day policing operations are directed by chief constables.
Who is the Dyfed-Powys PCC? Dafydd Llywelyn was elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys in May 2016. Before that he had extensive experience of working within criminal justice, with more than 13 years at Dyfed-Powys Police. He was the force’s principal crime and intelligence analyst before becoming a lecturer in criminology at Aberystwyth University.
