Victim feedback panel

To bring together Essex Police, the force’s commissioned victim services and the victims themselves to a force-wide platform, to capture the victim’s voice for organisational learning and help shape service delivery improvements.

• To give victims a voice to talk about their personal experience, supporting learning for the force. Areas can be identified where the police could have made a difference.

• To help shape the force approach to improving the service for future victims.

• To ensure feedback is shared to support continuous learning and development. This information exchange ensures victims are heard while maintaining their engagement and improving their satisfaction and confidence.

This initiative started during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panels were held over Microsoft Teams. This allowed for a larger audience and for events to be recorded, so officers and staff could view the victim feedback panels via a link.

Victim feedback panel events are cost neutral. They are arranged and attended by officers and staff and supported by the force’s contracted victim support services charity. The charity assists by seeking and supporting victims to attend and share their story.

Two panels have been held to date.

• Panel 1 focused on sexual violence and domestic abuse.
• Panel 2 focused on experience from black and ethnic minority victims.

Panel 3 will focus on violence against women and girls.

• Identified recurring themes.

• Development of case studies to support organisational learning.

• Provided opportunities for victims to speak, in their own words, about their experiences to help shape the force’s approach and to improve the overall service.

• Shared feedback to support continuous learning and development.

• Exchanged information about service provision to support the best quality information to victims, maintain their engagement, and improve their satisfaction and confidence.
   

Essex Police found the main challenge to be finding appropriate victim participants who are willing to take part. They decided that working with victims whose cases are finalised and not currently in the criminal justice system was the best option.

They identified that it's preferable if there are no outstanding complaints or grievances in place in relation to the case.

It's valuable for victims to share their stories of positive experiences and instances where the service they received could have supported them better.

Specific topics and events therefore require planning well ahead. At one event it was decided to have up to three victims speaking, so establishing topics early and planning ahead is key.

Working closely with victim services is essential to ensure those victims are supported throughout.