Nottinghamshire Victims and Restorative Justice Needs Assessment

Task: 

Between 2019 and 2021, there was a 14% increase in total crime across England and Wales with latest estimates suggesting that around 2 in 10 adults were a victim of crime in the year ending September 2021. The impact of crime is known to be significant, on both physical and mental health and as a result, the Criminal Justice System has shifted towards better recognition of the importance of engaging with the needs of victims.  

The Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for commissioning the Nottinghamshire Victim CARE (Cope and Recovery Empowerment) Service, which provides victim-centred and outcomes-focused support to victims and survivors. TONIC were, therefore, commissioned to conduct an independent Victims Needs Assessment and review the current model of support for victims in Nottinghamshire.  

TONIC’s Approach: 

During this needs assessment, TONIC utilised a multi-faceted approach and engaged with over 450 local victims and professionals. A literature review, quantitative data analysis, interviews and 2 anonymous surveys were all conducted in order to build an in-depth picture of the landscape of support and identify areas in need of attention from the commissioners. A combination of quantitative data and qualitative data was consequently produced from this consultation the later of which was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step method of Thematic Analysis.  

In regard to the victims who engaged with this consultation, they were required to meet the conditions of being a victim of crime in Nottinghamshire within the last 3 years and being a victim of a crime other than Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence. There were 335 responses to the survey from victims of crime that met these criteria and 46 responses from key stakeholders. Further, 22 interviews were conducted with victims of crime and 28 conducted with stakeholders. The majority of survey respondents who were victims of crime (73%) had never accessed support following their experience and only 27% had accessed Nottinghamshire Victim CARE or another service. 

Significantly, it was common for victims who engaged with this consultation to disclose that they had never been offered support by the police or had never heard of the Victim CARE Service. 

Outcome: 

TONIC used the data collected during this consultation to produce a comprehensive report, explaining the findings, analysis and methodology of the needs assessment and concluding with several key recommendations that were also presented to the commissioners. There were 12 recommendations in total that were further broken down into two categories: recommendations for Nottinghamshire Police Force and recommendations for supporting victims in Nottinghamshire.