Thousands of people affected by crime across West Yorkshire are set to receive enhanced counselling, advocacy and practical assistance under a new £11.4 million Government
funding package.
The two-year investment, allocated through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, will support victims and survivors of a wide range of offences, while providing dedicated services for people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
The funding is part of a wider £550 million Government programme for victims and witnesses across England and Wales, designed to help people access support while navigating the criminal justice system.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris visited the West Yorkshire Rape Crisis Partnership in Leeds on Thursday to meet staff and hear about the experiences of survivors who rely on specialist services.
The partnership provides trauma-informed counselling and advocacy for women and girls who have experienced rape, child sexual abuse or other forms of sexual violence.
Its services include support from Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs), who help survivors understand their options and provide information to those considering reporting an offence to the police.
Norris said the Government wanted victims and survivors to remain at the centre of the justice system, while reaffirming its commitment to reducing violence against women and girls.
“Victim-survivors should always be at the centre of our justice system,” Norris said, adding that the funding would help ensure people affected by sexual violence receive support to rebuild their lives.
Heather Collington, chief executive of the Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre and lead partner of the West Yorkshire Rape Crisis Partnership ISVA Service, welcomed the continued investment.
She said specialist organisations across the region depended on sustained support from national and local authorities, charities and donors to maintain advocacy, counselling and other services for survivors.
Collington said the criminal justice process could itself be deeply difficult for people recovering from sexual violence, making specialist assistance particularly important.
She also pointed to growing demand for services and argued that longer-term investment was needed to reduce waiting times and ensure survivors could access appropriate help when required.
The West Yorkshire partnership brings together Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds, RASAC and Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service.
Baroness Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said the new funding would help maintain specialist support at a time when victims could be facing some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
The package will cover services ranging from counselling and emotional support to dedicated assistance for people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
The latest allocation forms part of a wider Government commitment of £550 million over three years for victim and witness services. Money is being distributed across Police and Crime Commissioner areas in England and Wales to provide support within local communities.
Separately, the Government has awarded £8.7 million to Rape Crisis England & Wales to maintain its 24-hour Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.
The free and confidential service provides emotional and listening support to victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse aged 16 and over across England and Wales.
The Government has also announced additional measures affecting people convicted of serious sexual offences. The Prime Minister has excluded prisoners serving sentences for rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming from forthcoming changes under the Sentencing Act, alongside a support package worth almost £19 million for survivors.
