Welcome to the Staffordshire Victim Gateway and Restorative Justice Service
"Putting people back in charge of their lives"
Call us on: 03300 881339
or visit the Staffordshire Victim Gateway website
www.staffsvictimsgateway.org.uk
We understand that being a victim of crime can be a difficult and often distressing experience that can leave you feeling angry, afraid or just unsure of what to do next. We are delighted to be able to offer a brand new service to all victims of crime in Staffordshire, which can provide advice, information and support, even if you haven’t reported the crime to the police. We want to support you to get back in control of your life as quickly as possible so you can move on from the experience.
Our advice and information covers a wide range of issues such as claiming compensation, dealing with the financial impacts of a crime, helping with insurance problems or how it may have affected your benefits, or job. All of our advice is confidential and free.
When you contact us one of the gateway staff will ask you for a few details about yourself and about what has happened and how the crime is affecting you. We can then give you advice or information to answer any immediate questions you may have. If you need support, or just someone to talk to we can refer you to one of our own Support Workers. In some cases there may be other organisations who are better placed to help you and if so, we can introduce you to them if you want us to.
If you feel that you would like to talk to someone about has happened to you to receive support, advice or information ring us or email us at the address below:
Email: help@staffsvictimsgateway.org.uk
Important information for you now:
There are a range of services available to victims of crime. Whether or not you want a service from the Gateway Team we do want to inform you of some of the options that are available to victims of crime:
Victims' Personal Statement (VPS)
If the person who committed the crime against you is caught, prosecuted and convicted you may be entitled to prepare a Victims Personal Statement (VPS), depending on the crime.
The statement can be read to the court to illustrate the impact that this crime has had on you. This may help the court when it is considering the sentence to give the offender. If you would like to know more about this, or you want help to prepare a VPS you should speak to your Victim Liaison Officer at the Police.
You can find more information about Victims Personal Statements by clicking here
Criminal Injuries Compensation
You may be eligible for financial compensation through the CICA if you have suffered personal injuries (physical or mental) as a result of this crime. You can find out more about making a claim by clicking here and you can find the claim form by clicking here
You can also find more information by clicking here
You should usually submit your claim for compensation within 2 years of the injury.
Restorative Justice (RJ)
If the person who committed the crime admits to doing it, you may be able to ask for restorative justice.
This gives you the opportunity to meet or otherwise communicate with the offender to tell them how you have been affected by the crime and to give them the opportunity to account for what they have done, take responsibility and try to make amends. To take this course you should speak to your Victim Liaison Officer at the Police. You can also find out more information about restorative justice by clicking here.
Crime Prevention
It may be useful to you to have some advice on crime prevention to see what you can do to protect yourself in the future. You can find lots of useful information on local crime prevention by clicking here
Alternatively, you could speak to your Victim Liaison Officer.
For more help and support on any of the above please contact Staffordshire Victim Gateway.
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime
More information on your rights as a victim of crime can be found in the Victims' Code. You can find the Code and other information for Victims on the Government website here.
The Staffordshire Victim Gateway
is operated by three of the county’s CABx:
- Staffordshire North and Stoke on Trent CAB (SNSCAB) which will support victims living in Stoke on Trent, Newcastle under Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands.
- East Staffordshire CAB which support victims living in East Staffordshire, Lichfield and Tamworth.
- Staffordshire South West CAB which will support victims living in Stafford Borough, South Staffordshire and Cannock Chase.
Other Citizens Advice Bureaux in the County are linked in to the service and can make quick and easy referrals into it.
Staffordshire Victim Gateway is a service, commissioned by the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
Visit the Staffordshire Victim Gateway website: