This briefing on the Victims and Prisoners Bill is on the duty to commission support and advocacy services.
The purpose of this amendment is to ensure commissioners are providing specific and sufficient support for children who have experienced or are experiencing a crime, by placing on them a duty to commission this support, rather than to simply have regard for children in their commissioning plans. This would include a duty to commission specific support services for children, and advocacy services, which include but are not limited to Child Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (CHIDVAs), Child Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (CHISVAs), and Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs).
The duty is then further strengthened by a duty on the Victims Commissioner and the Secretary of State to issue a national statement on the current volume, need, provision and investment into support services for children who are victims of crime to ensure full transparency in how the appropriate bodies are responding to the needs of children.