In partnership with Victim Support Scotland, we sought views that would help us explore the ‘aftercare’ and referral process for individuals affected by crime in Scotland.
We carried out focus groups, depth interviews and a public survey which ran between 3rd June and 31st August 2021. These allowed us to gain views from our communities surrounding the Victim Care Card, the use of language in aftercare processes and potential opportunities for improvement.
All of this was done with the aim of enabling effective organisational responses which put the needs of individuals at the heart of what we do.
Our survey received 492 responses, 82% of these respondents had experienced crime in the last two years, either as a victim or a witness. Of these, 47% shared they had been a victim of crime, 15% had been a witness of crime and 20% had been both a witness and victim of crime. The most common type of crimes experienced were assault, harassment and threats - affecting 109 respondents.
Responses to our survey highlighted key themes and issues that need to be addressed to improve the aftercare system for people affected by crime. These were:
Victim Care Card
43% of respondents who had been a victim or witness of crime said they did not receive a Victim Care Card. 14% said they were offered the card and 5% could not remember.
It is important to consider that these findings were from a small number of respondents, therefore this does not necessarily reflect the experiences of everyone who has been affected by crime. However, responses still highlight main areas where we can drive change and improvement to ensure everyone affected by crime receives the best possible aftercare.
Respondents also highlighted that they would like to see changes to the formatting and layout of the card. Suggestions included:
Communication needs
Our interviews and focus groups highlighted issues around communication between services and people who use them, with some participants not feeling supported in their aftercare journey. Some shared feelings of isolation, particularly because they were not kept up to date with developments in their case. Overall, responses show that people would like to see a more cohesive approach to the aftercare system, particularly with support following the reporting of a crime being seamless and connected.
Use of language
Another area for consideration was the use of language, particularly when handling incidents with people affected by crime. Many respondents did not want to be identified as ‘victims’, especially due to a perceived stigma associated with the term, and called for a change in the language used around being affected by crime. Consensus was not reached on what a better term might be, with many also not associating with the term ‘survivor’.
Ultimately, language was strongly associated with how people feel they are perceived. Respondents stated that they just want to be treated like a person who has experienced something awful – and get the best help possible from police and support services to reduce the wider impact on their lives.
Learning from the results of our work with our communities, we are taking the following actions:
Police Scotland’s Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing Division are now leading all of this work to make improvements in the way we do aftercare.
Early insights have already been shared and discussed at a bi-annual event between Victim Support Scotland and Police Scotland. Results have also been shared with Police Scotland’s Strategic Leadership Board (which is where all Assistant Chief Constables, Deputy Chief Constables, Deputy Chief Officers and the Chief Constable discuss important issues for the organisation each month).
A full report will also be shared at Police Scotland’s next Public Confidence Governance Board later in 2021 and reported in the Quarter Three report to the Scottish Police Authority’s Policing Performance Committee (this is publicly available and more information is available on the SPA website).
This survey is about the aftercare options provided by Police Scotland for people who have been a survivor or witness of crime, although anyone can take part. It includes questions about referral to support services for people affected by crime. It also asks about the Victim Care Card, which provides aftercare information and important contact details.
This survey has been produced in collaboration between Police Scotland and Victim Support Scotland. It asks for individual views about how Police Scotland can best support survivors/witnesses of crime when it comes to providing immediate support and information. This is what we mean by 'aftercare'. Your views will help to inform development and shape our services.
This survey asks for your views about aftercare support, rather than any other feedback/complaints. To give feedback on Victim Support Scotland’s services, please see details on the Victim Support Scotland website. To provide feedback about Police Scotland’s service, please see our public information on the Police Scotland website.
What does this survey involve?
Complete the survey in a different way
BSL users can complete the survey here.
This survey is also available in a version that is easier to read. If you need this version, see the links section at the bottom of this page.
Please let us know if you want to complete the survey in a different way (for example, over the phone, or if you require it in another language to be able to take part): consultations@scotland.pnn.police.uk.
Reporting a crime or providing information about an incident
Please note that this platform is not for reporting crime, providing information about an incident, or asking us for help. To find out ways to contact the police, please visit our website. If you or someone else needs urgent police assistance, please dial 999 immediately.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey.
Your feedback and views will be analysed and used to inform the decisions we make, internally and with our partners, to improve the experiences of people who experience crime in Scotland. We are committed to ensuring that we provide the quality service that Scotland's diverse communities expect and deserve.
We will update this page with the findings from the survey and our one to one interviews which make up this public engagement exercise as soon as they are available.
Share
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook