Ensure the right support for victims and vulnerable people

Appropriate adults are volunteers, who aim to safeguard the interests, rights, entitlements and welfare of vulnerable people in police custody.

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s key duties include supporting victims, giving them a voice and ensuring the effectiveness of the criminal justice system across Cleveland.

The Victim Care and Advice Service (VCAS) provide a range of services for victims of crime and their families on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Services are tailored to individual need and may be delivered in a number of ways to reduce the harm caused by the impact of crime.

Restorative Justice (RJ) gives victims the chance to communicate with their offenders and show the true impact of crime.

The purpose-built Teesside SARC is designed to provide a sensitive and dedicated service to meet the needs of victims of rape and sexual assault throughout the year.

The Police and Crime Commissioner helps to fund a range of services for victims of domestic abuse and cultural-based harm.

Some crimes are most associated with specific communities. Honour-based violence, forced marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are usually associated with the area’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

Cleveland Anti-Slavery Network aims to address the issues associated with Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. It brings together many of the organisations responsible for safeguarding across the region.

The Safe Place Scheme identifies places in the community, where vulnerable people can go for help if they feel unsafe.

The Victims Right to Review gives victims of crime, in certain circumstances, the right to ask for a review of a police decision not to prosecute.