As a result of the COVID pandemic and the subsequent local and national restrictions, the criminal justice system faced many pressures.
They included delayed court appearances and a level of backlog.
As a result of this and through COVID monies available to Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC), a full time court based IDVA was introduced in July 2020 to Teesside Magistrates Court to ensure victims were able to access high quality support should they need to, in addition to ensuring no victims ‘slip through the net’.
The introduction of this IDVA has been a real success not only in supporting victims but also supporting partners to ensure the victims voice is heard in the court room.
This decision is to extend the post for a further 12 months. During this time an evaluation will take place to understand its effectiveness alongside plans for suitability in the future.