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Hertfordshire Beacon
In 2015, Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner became responsible for commissioning the majority of emotional and practical support services for victims of crime locally.
This enabled the Commissioner to commission a locally tailored service that better reflects and is more responsive to the needs of victims of crime in Hertfordshire.
The new Victim Care Centre, 'Beacon’, was launched on 1st April 2015.
It is a partnership organisation created by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Constabulary and Catch 22 staff.
The centre provides a complete wrap around service to help victims to cope and recover regardless if they reported the crime to Police or not.
Practical and emotional support will be given to those who need it most.
If you have been a victim of crime in Hertfordshire and would like to find out more about the support available please go to www.hertfordshirebeacon.org or ring 03000 11 55 55. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm & Saturday 9am – 5pm.
If you have been a victim of crime in Hertfordshire and would like to find out more about your rights and entitlements please refer to the Victims Code of Practice.
If you have been a victim of crime in Hertfordshire in the last 12 months and would like to feedback your experiences in order to help improve services, please click here to take part in the Victims’ Voice Questionnaire.
This enabled the Commissioner to commission a locally tailored service that better reflects and is more responsive to the needs of victims of crime in Hertfordshire.
The new Victim Care Centre, 'Beacon’, was launched on 1st April 2015.
It is a partnership organisation created by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Constabulary and Catch 22 staff.
The centre provides a complete wrap around service to help victims to cope and recover regardless if they reported the crime to Police or not.
Practical and emotional support will be given to those who need it most.
If you have been a victim of crime in Hertfordshire and would like to find out more about the support available please go to www.hertfordshirebeacon.org or ring 03000 11 55 55. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm & Saturday 9am – 5pm.
If you have been a victim of crime in Hertfordshire and would like to find out more about your rights and entitlements please refer to the Victims Code of Practice.
If you have been a victim of crime in Hertfordshire in the last 12 months and would like to feedback your experiences in order to help improve services, please click here to take part in the Victims’ Voice Questionnaire.
Victims' Information Booklet
This information booklet is designed to give an understanding of what to expect throughout your journey as a victim of crime. it outlines your rights and the contact and support you can expect to recieve from agencies within the Criminal Justice System.
Download the new Victim's Information Booklet.
Download the new Victim's Information Booklet.
Victims Pledge
The services we provide will:
- Be easy to access
- Inform you of your entitlements under the Victims Code
- Be Supportive and of high quality
- Focused on your needs and requirements
- Be delivered in a manner of your choosing and when you need it
- Enable you to feel and stay safe
- Provided free of charge
Domestic Abuse
The County Community Safety Unit, with funding from Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, commissioned the independent charity CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse) to thoroughly review how services in Hertfordshire could be improved.
At a joint meeting of Hertfordshire’s Domestic Abuse Strategic Programme Board and the County Community Safety Governance Board on 1 December, it was agreed to establish a cross-organisational working group to take forward the development of a clear Domestic Abuse Strategy and associated action plan. The working group will include representatives from the Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire County Council, NHS agencies, and probation. Additional strategic resource has already been put in place to oversee this work and arrangements for the provision of specialist resources are also being explored with CAADA.
You can find out more here
At a joint meeting of Hertfordshire’s Domestic Abuse Strategic Programme Board and the County Community Safety Governance Board on 1 December, it was agreed to establish a cross-organisational working group to take forward the development of a clear Domestic Abuse Strategy and associated action plan. The working group will include representatives from the Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire County Council, NHS agencies, and probation. Additional strategic resource has already been put in place to oversee this work and arrangements for the provision of specialist resources are also being explored with CAADA.
You can find out more here
Hate Crime
Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has welcomed key recommendations for supporting victims of hate crime in light of findings from a pioneering new piece of research in Hertfordshire.
The Commissioner funded report: ‘Healing the Harms: Identifying how best to support Hate Crime Victims’ led by the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies, asked people to share their experiences and thoughts on support services locally and nationally.
The findings and recommendations will now be used to improve support services for hate crime victims in Hertfordshire via Victim Care Centre Beacon and to develop the next hate crime strategy for the county.
Between January and April in 2016, more than 1600 people shared their personal insights on hate crime through a survey and in-depth interviews. Over one third (36 per cent) of the sample had experienced a hate crime, with many participants citing race as the cause.
Interestingly, this finding mirrors recorded figures from Hertfordshire Constabulary.
In drawing these findings, the report outlines the perceived effectiveness of hate crime policy, the range of hate crimes experienced by people who live in Hertfordshire, and the damaging effects of hate crime on a victim’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
It also examines reporting rates to police, interaction rates with existing support services and the needs and expectations of actual and potential hate crime victims.
Healing The Harms Report
PCC's statement on Hate Crime
The Commissioner funded report: ‘Healing the Harms: Identifying how best to support Hate Crime Victims’ led by the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies, asked people to share their experiences and thoughts on support services locally and nationally.
The findings and recommendations will now be used to improve support services for hate crime victims in Hertfordshire via Victim Care Centre Beacon and to develop the next hate crime strategy for the county.
Between January and April in 2016, more than 1600 people shared their personal insights on hate crime through a survey and in-depth interviews. Over one third (36 per cent) of the sample had experienced a hate crime, with many participants citing race as the cause.
Interestingly, this finding mirrors recorded figures from Hertfordshire Constabulary.
In drawing these findings, the report outlines the perceived effectiveness of hate crime policy, the range of hate crimes experienced by people who live in Hertfordshire, and the damaging effects of hate crime on a victim’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
It also examines reporting rates to police, interaction rates with existing support services and the needs and expectations of actual and potential hate crime victims.
Healing The Harms Report
PCC's statement on Hate Crime
Honour Based Abuse, Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage
Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd commissioned the University of Roehampton and University of Essex to undertake a pioneering research project between February and March 2017 to understand the experiences of so-called ‘honour’ based violence (HBA-including FGM and forced marriage). So called ‘honour’ based abuse (HBA) will be included in future victims’ services plans and delivered through Hertfordshire’s victim care centre - Beacon.
This specialist support, which will address the specific needs of victims of HBA, Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) will be brought in next year .
Click the link to view the full report: Honour Based Violence and Abuse, Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage: Shaping Services for Priority Victims in Hertfordshire. The study was based on research conducted by Professor Aisha K. Gill from the University of Roehampton, Professor Pamela Cox and Ruth Weir from University of Essex with consultant input from Professor Sandra Walklate, University of Liverpool.
This specialist support, which will address the specific needs of victims of HBA, Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) will be brought in next year .
Click the link to view the full report: Honour Based Violence and Abuse, Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage: Shaping Services for Priority Victims in Hertfordshire. The study was based on research conducted by Professor Aisha K. Gill from the University of Roehampton, Professor Pamela Cox and Ruth Weir from University of Essex with consultant input from Professor Sandra Walklate, University of Liverpool.
