Funding will support Arch to continue services currently delivered across Teesside and extend opening by 15 hours per week.
This will ensure accessibility to clients who work or are in college/school. They cannot access services during normal opening hours without disruption to their employment or education.
With the support of specialist services, clients should feel safer, informed, empowered, included and respected.
This results in an increased confidence in the Criminal Justice System and an overall satisfaction that their needs have been met.
The consequences of failing to meet this need would be that victims and their families would have limited access to services, resulting in victims failing to report offences. This would be as a result of lack of support from the outset.
It could also lead to victims withdrawing statements part way through the investigation due to lack of confidence, or not attending court as a witness due to fear and lack of clarity around the court process.
This funding will be used to enhance and expand the service by paying for an additional 600 support sessions for victims and witnesses in the year 2015/16. This equates to an additional 90 people receiving quality support services over the period.
Decision 29 – 2015. Arch Out of hours services for victims of sexual abuse (application, 3MB)