In partnership with the VAWDASV Board and the Ministry of Justice, the Police and Crime Commissioner provides funding to a number of services across North Wales. Click below to read more about our Commissioned Services and the good work they do within our community to support victims of crime and support offenders to reduce re-offending
- Victim Help Centre
- North Wales Women Centre
- Checkpoint Cymru
- Dechrau Newydd
- RASASC
- SARC
- Youth Offending Teams
- Crimestoppers
- Regional IDVA Service North Wales
- Domestic Abuse Safety Unit North Wales
- Gorwel
- Home Start
- Stepping Stones
Victim Help Centre
The North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones has provided funding to support the Victim Help Centre. The Centre is a one-stop-shop for victims across the whole of North Wales and is based at divisional police HQ in St Asaph. It brings together the support services of North Wales Police, the Witness Care Unit of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Since the centre opened in 2015 it has supported over 190,000 victims of all sorts of crimes. Each victim receives a response specifically tailored to their situation and the centre employs specialists in mental health, hate crime, fraud, serious and organised crime and modern day slavery. In addition to specialised caseworkers the Victim Help Centre employs Victim Help Officers who make initial contact with the victim along with a number of volunteers to support victims across north Wales.
The Victim Help Service is available from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturdays. It can be contacted by Freephone on 0300 3030159, by email at: northwales.helpcentre@victimsupport.org.uk.
Funded by the Welsh government, the below report focuses on conversations with young people about hate crime. It provides valuable information about the knowledge and awareness of hate crime and hate incidents and of support provision among CYP in Wales. A high percentage of the participants had been victims of hate crime and hate incidents, and these incidents had had a profound and detrimental effect on their lives. The research also explores the CYP’s perspectives on and experiences of the current support provision, and provides recommendations on how to improve the engagement of, and support for, CYP affected by hate crime in Wales.
North Wales Women Centre
In October 2019, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner launched the North Wales Women’s Pathfinder Diversion Scheme. The scheme is commissioned to help and support women offenders stay out of trouble with the law and steer women away from crime by providing opportunities to reform and rehabilitate and supporting them to have a better live away from the Criminal Justice System. The Women’s Pathfinder works with women who commit crime or who are at risk of doing so across north Wales and provides increased access to services for women to address the underlying causes of their offending and issues with regards to victimisation and abuse. The scheme aims to reduce arrests resulting in charge, reduce re-arrest and reduce reoffending. The Women’s Pathfinder project will provide interventions to woman who has been diverted via the Custody based Checkpoint service as an alternative to being charged for low level offence. The service also accepts women who are at risk of entering the Criminal Justice system and women can referred through agencies or self-refer in this circumstance. In addition, the north wales women’s centre can work with women who are charged for their offence but would benefit from a wraparound advice and support in order to address the issues leading to their offending behaviour.
Furthermore the Centre was successful in securing Early Intervention Funding to support a ‘trauma informed’ package of intervention programmes to address the consequences of issues such as childhood abuse, domestic violence and physical and sexual assault. The training will be beneficial as it is part of a bigger project that will include delivering the ACEs Recovery Toolkit, the Adult Recovery Toolkit and the Domestic Abuse Recovery Toolkit (DART) program to the children of survivors attending the Adult Recovery Program (DASU have already secured funding to train practitioners and deliver the Adult Recovery Toolkit and to train practitioners in the DART). These toolkits will be delivered across Flintshire and Denbighshire.
The North Wales Women’s Centre can be contacted by phone on 01745 339331 or via their webpage via northwaleswomenscentre.co.uk
Checkpoint Cymru
In December 2019, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones launched the first diversion scheme of its kind in Wales. Checkpoint Cymru was developed by the Cambridge University and pioneered in Durham in 2015. It is a voluntary programme that tackles underlying causes of offending behaviour such as mental health and substance misuse. It aims to provide a credible alternative to prosecution, by identifying and supporting relevant needs and the ‘critical pathways’ out of crime, with the result being that low and medium adult offenders are diverted away from the Criminal Justice System. In addition to supporting people around their underlying needs, Checkpoint has also trained its team to deliver a comprehensive ACEs Recovery Toolkit course.
Checkpoint Cymru is a multi-agency project which improves awareness of and access to health-based services for all persons presenting at Police Custody. The successful delivery of Checkpoint relies on an approach involving a wide range of local partners, which allows strategic level coordination and access to referral services.
Dechrau Newydd
During 2019 the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner along with HMPPS had tendered for a new Drug Intervention Programme contract and Kaleidoscope were the successful service who was awarded the work. . The service aim is to engage substance using offenders and support them to reduce offending, improve health and social functioning, engage with multi agency support and make sustainable lifestyle changes.
Custody suites, courts, probation offices and prisons offer key opportunities to identify, inform and engage substance using offenders. These can be challenging environments to deliver treatment services within, especially when engaging with individuals who may be particularly anxious, mistrustful and vulnerable. The overarching aim of the service is to provide seamless integrated support to drug and alcohol using offenders.
This is to be achieved through the delivery of a service which encompasses the provision of:
- Provision of drug testing, tailored therapeutic and wraparound support packages and information provision as appropriate for the delivery of Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) and Alcohol Treatment (ATR) orders
- Tailored holistic support for those identified as voluntary service users
- Appropriate tailored support to meet the requirements of Conditional Cautions (Drugs).
This work is part of the PCCs integrated approach to supporting clients through a variety of referral pathways such as Checkpoint Cymru and the Women’s Pathfinder together with health partners.
RASASC
The Rape and Sexual Support Centre (RASASC), provides information, specialist support and therapy to anyone aged 3 and over who has experienced any kind of sexual abuse or violence. RASASC will support individuals whether it has been in recently or in the past and also provide support and therapy to partners or family members of those who have been affected by sexual abuse and violence. RASASC are a non –judgemental, confidential and free or charge and are based across 6 counties of North Wales including their head office in Bangor. RASASC is an independent charity but works closely alongside other agencies both statutory and voluntary as their aim is to help individuals find the most suitable support for their particular needs
RASASC can be contacted via telephone 01248 670628 or via email info@rasawales.org.uk
Choose 2 Change
Choose2Change delivers a RESPECT accredited intervention to address domestic abuse and works with perpetrators across the 6 local authorities in North Wales. The project delivers both a group work perpetrator programme to offer men who have been abusive in intimate relationships an opportunity to change and a support service for the ex/partners of the men engaging with the service.
The aims of the service are to increase the safety of women and children by reducing the level of domestic abuse they are experiencing, reduce the number of domestic abuse incidents and repeat/new victims. The overall aims of the service include:
- to increase the safety of women and children
- to reduce the number of repeat incidents of domestic abuse
- to reduce the number of repeat and new victims of domestic abuse
- to offer perpetrators of domestic abuse the opportunity to change
- to contribute to the community response to domestic abuse
The service works to gain a full understanding of risk in each case and arrange a robust risk management plan. In additions, the service plays an active part on the multi-agency response to domestic abuse providing information about perpetrator risk and engagement at MARAC, ADAPT, VAWDASV and Safeguarding arenas.
SARC
Through the support of the North Wales PCC since 2014 and more recently the North Wales VAWDASV Board the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) /Children & Young People Sexual Violence Advocate (CYPSVA) service has developed and provides support to adult and child victims of sexual violence, and their families and significant others. The service has established pathways for inter-referral with many agencies and works consistently to provide effective services to individuals and their families, ensuring to avoid duplication with other agencies such as Mental Health, CAMHS, School Nurses, Safeguarding, POVA, Paediatricians and Domestic Abuse services. There are good working relationships with the Police Teams, CPS, Enhanced Witness Service and Witness Care.
The ISVA/CYPSVA Service works collaboratively with Third Sector Agencies, Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (North Wales), Stepping Stones and other agencies.
The project aims to maintain the provision of an enhanced Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service for adults and children and young people in North Wales that are victims of sexual offenses.
The SARC have recently been recognised nationally and won a number of awards for their Sharing Stories Film and Podcast Project.
Youth Offending Teams
Conwy & Denbighshire
The Conwy and Denbighshire Youth Offending Team provide substance misuse assessments and treatment for young people through all pathways and referrals routes.
The Project Worker approaches the interventions that are delivered in a broad and holistic manner, tailoring the intervention in a child first approach and adapts the educative sessions to cognitive ability. The assessments are thorough and are undertaken with the young person in a co-productive way where issues over and above their substance misuse are considered.
The project worker focusses heavily on the outcome of improved physical and mental health as this underpins young people’s ability, confidence and self-motivation to bring about positive changes in their lives. This supports the future generations Wales Act, the Government's mental health strategy, Together for Mental Health and also supports Conwy's corporate 6 objectives in respect of wellbeing and promoting and supporting better outcomes
The work of the substance misuse officer touches on all four priorities including:
- Prevent further crime substance misuse related and non-related
- Deliver an effective response to children and young people with a specific needs
- Reduce harm and risk to others via having fewer crimes committed (less victims) and less young people being under the influence of dangerous substance and coming to harm.
- Build effective partnerships with the third sector, the delivery agent, North Wales Police and Health to deliver a seamless service.
Youth Offending Teams - Gwynedd & Mon
Gwynedd and Mon youth offending teams have 2 projects running in parallel.
The first project focuses on prevention in order to reduce the number of First-Time entrants to the Youth Justice System and to increase the number of victims involved in diversionary processes. The project also ensures high quality needs led intervention activities for children and young people and have developed the ‘Bureau’ process, which seeks to offer a restorative and victim led intervention as an alternative to formal police sanction.
The project aims to:
- Continue to reduce the number of children and young people entering the youth justice system.
- Develop and enhance the existing ‘Rural Bureau’ process to meet the needs of services and families in North West Wales
- Increase the number and percentage of victims involved with restorative justice processes ensuring their voice is heard in all support and interventions.
- Continue to increase the number and quality of Diversionary projects in our high risk areas.
- Reduce reported Crime committed by children and young people.
The second project ensures timely and high quality assessment of Substance Misuse for children at risk of entering or who are in the youth justice system. This will minimise the number of victims of crime related to substance misuse and ensure general health interventions that support, healthy living, positive relationships and participation in constructive leisure activities.
The commissioner’s fund supports the Services’ objective of improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people known to the YJS, by ensuring thorough health assessment of needs and improved access to interventions and support. This also reduces the likelihood of offending and re-offending.
The project aims to:
- Reduce the number of children and young people in the youth justice systems that are affected by substance misuse issues.
- Improve and develop the types of assessment and interventions delivered to children and young people in the system who are affected by substance misuse issues.
- Reduce the reoffending rates of children and young people who are affected by substance misuse and other negative health matters.
Youth Offending Teams - Wrexham
The project aims to engage with young people prior to any offending behaviours developing and to inform them of the consequences of anti-social behaviour, involvement and actions of crime. The aim is to prevent young people from entering the Criminal Justice System (First Time Entrants) and to ensure that, by preventing criminality, community cohesion is upheld by reducing anti-social behaviour and raising awareness of ASB and Crime and its wider consequences.
The project aims to achieve this by working with secondary, youth support services, play development and third sector organisations across Wrexham, to provide basic intervention programmes that address occurrences and impact of anti-social behaviour.
The project also delivers a range of workshops to Year 8 pupils and targeted, smaller groups in other school years in all secondary schools in the Wrexham area, to raise awareness of the consequences of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and crime. Workshops will aim to raise awareness of current concerns, including CCE, on-line grooming, and organised crime. This will be supported by continued professional development and up-skilling of staff as we identify suitable resource, materials and interventions for delivery to children and young people of school age.
The interventions are provided across the county and therefore will impact on all communities in a positive way. YJS data shows that the average age at which young people enter the YJS is 15 years. By delivering to Year 8 groups, the project continues to strive to prevent escalation of offending and anti-social behaviour at the earliest opportunity.
Youth Offending Teams - Flintshire
The Flintshire Youth Offending Team coordinates through its multi-agency partnership a response to young people displaying anti-social behaviour or who are at risk of engaging in offending behaviours through the workings of a multi-agency Prevent and Deter Panel and the Bureau Panel. The young people referred to the Youth Justice Service are regularly evidencing significant adversity including drug and alcohol misuse, emotional well-being and mental health vulnerabilities and behaviours/attitudes that contribute to patterns of community, social and school exclusion.
North Wales Police refer young people to the Bureau Panel, who meet to discuss each case. The Bureau Panel comprises the Youth Justice Service senior practitioner, a Police Officer and a lay person, and an assessment is completed by the YJS Prevention Worker.
The agencies represented and referring identified young people to Prevent and Deter Panel include North Wales Police, Housing, Social Services for Children, Youth Services, SORTED (Flintshire’s Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service) CAMHs, Education, parents, and the Flintshire Youth Justice Service (siblings of cases currently known to the YJS).
The aims of the project therefore are to reduce the number of young people becoming first time entrants to the criminal justice system, to voluntarily engage young people in meaningful interventions to address the causes of antisocial behaviour, and to signpost young people to other services and agencies to support them in leading a crime free adolescence.
Crimestoppers
The Crime stoppers Regional Manager provides a vital link between the community and law enforcement and supports the Police and Crime Commissioner’s crime reduction strategy.
The purpose of this project is to increase awareness and community intelligence in line with the priorities in the Police and Crime Plan. It aims to empower vulnerable individuals, children and the community by encouraging trust in them to report/give information to the charity anonymously. This increase in community reporting of crimes at an early stage can make a difference in reducing crime in their local area.
The Regional Manager acts as a single point of contact across the North West regions and ensures that key messages of anonymity and independence are communicated and understood by the public and partner agencies.
In addition, the regional manager will also respond to specific PCC & Chief Officers crime concerns/priorities by organising hard hitting local campaigns involving the active participation of community leaders, the media, other not-for-profit organisations and local authorities.
Crime stoppers have recently ran a number of successful campaigns in north Wales including the Turn the Tide campaign to tackle modern slavery, drugs and trafficking. Following a press release, supported by four police and commissioners and the key campaign activity was digitally via targeted social media advertisements. The campaign saw a 10% decrease in overall reports disseminated to Wales police during the campaign compared to prior to the campaign.
Crimestoppers can be contacted via telephone 0800 555 111 or visit their website crimestoppers-uk.org
Regional IDVA Service North Wales
In response to the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Act (Wales) 2015, the Regional VAWDASV Strategic Board and Joint Commissioning Subgroup have Commissioned a Regional IDVA Service across North Wales to achieve the consistent and effective delivery of frontline services to high risk and repeat victims of domestic abuse.
The North Wales Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV) Strategic Board, together with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales and Supporting People has commissioned DASU and Gorwel to deliver this provision across the 6 local authorities.
IDVAs work to address the safety of all people at high risk of domestic violence and abuse from intimate partners, ex-partners and family members to secure their safety and the safety of their children. The service works with men and women. Operating as the primary point of contact, IDVAs typically work with their clients from the point of crisis to assess the risk, review options, and develop and implement plans to address their immediate safety, as well as longer-term solutions. These plans will include actions from the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) as well as sanctions and remedies available through the criminal and civil courts, housing options and services available through other organisations.
Domestic Abuse Safety Unit North Wales
The Domestic Abuse Safety Unit provides a range of confidential quality services that value and respect survivors of Domestic Abuse.
More recently the VAWDASV Board and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has provided funding in order to support additional activities in refuges. DASU manage several refuges for woman across 4 counties in North Wales. DASU also have a two bedroomed refuge for men who need safe accommodation. Refuge accommodation is a short term measure until it is safe to return home, however it may be longer term should families and individuals choose to stay and rebuild their lives.
DASU can be contacted via the below telephone numbers or via their website
- Flintshire: 01244 830436
- Denbigh: 01745 814494
- Colwyn: 01492 534705
- Wrexham: 01978 310203
Gorwel
Gorwel is a business unit within Grŵp Cynefin. Gorwel’s main focus is to provide support services in the field of domestic violence and homeless prevention. Gorwel operates across three counties and north Wales and their projects include refuges, supported housing schemes, children and young people services, support in the community and an independent domestic violence advisory service.
The VAWDASV Board in partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have provided funding in order to create a disbursed unit in a confidential location to support women and their children who are fleeing from domestic violence. The unit will provide 24 emergency accommodations, 7 days a week and will be able to support 9 service users and their families at any one time.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner also support Grwp Cynefin’s Caring Dads that helps father’s re-build positive relationships with their children who are affected by domestic abuse.
Additionally Gorwel were successful in receiving Early Intervention Funding. The funding was provided to Growel to support the Children and Young people support worker covering Gwynedd and Mon working within the Anglesey Domestic Abuse – One Stop Shop who will be specifically working with young children. The aim of the project is to enhance the current service provision for Children and Young people that are victims of domestic abuse across the county of Anglesey. The aim of the project is to enhance the current service provision for children and young people that are victims of domestic abuse, across the county of Anglesey. It is designed to safeguard children experiencing or having experiences Domestic Abuse, in the first instance to keep them safe, to reduce the harm caused by the abuse, to deal with the emotional impact of abuse, and ultimately to stop the abuse having a long term negative on the individual.
Gorwel can be contacted via telephone 03001 112121 or email: gorwel@gorwel.org
Home Start
Home Start received Early Intervention Funding in 2018 to support the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Lead role covering Flintshire and Wrexham as it has been recognised that there is a variety of levels of training and information being delivered by private, statutory and third sector organisations relating to ACE awareness and resilience. It has been identified that there is a need for more local collaboration and shared understanding of access to information which is relevant and sufficient to the role organisation have with families. The project will invite organisations from across Wrexham and Flintshire to share information and support each other to become more ACE focused to avoid repetition of activity in training/awareness sessions. In addition, the project will create an ACE’s Learning Hub which will offer a supportive network of organisations working with children and their families with a distinct focus of connecting and working together to prevent ACE’s in children and mitigating the effects of ACE’s for their parents. The new Home-Start process encourages staff to explore the ACE disclosure and identify relevant/targeted agencies that could support the family’s trauma. Specific information sharing protocol has been developed for Home-Start Wrexham to gain explicit consent from families following ACE disclosure to share information with relevant agencies in support of their trauma. Unless there is a child protection implication, this information will only be shared with consent and to the specific organisations detailed in the consent.
The education link within the project has offered a positive step forward in engaging school and school staff who have trusted and positive relationships with children to understand their role with children who have experience trauma or in mitigating risk of it occurring.
For more information visit https://www.home-start.org.uk/
Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones is a registered charity providing therapeutic services across north Wales to adults who have been sexually abused as children. Stepping stones have registered BACP counsellors working across the six counties of north wales providing support at a preferred location and choice of language and gender of counsellor. Stepping Stones have recently received further funding this year to support additional Children and Young People Independent Sexual Violence Advocates and a collaboration ISVA with RASASC to support clients who are in the process of attending court do not currently get any support as well as generic advocacy support, unless referred to the Amethyst SARC.