Victims Engagement Forum Launches in Gloucestershire

People who have experienced crime in Gloucestershire are being invited to join a new Victim Engagement Forum.

The forum will give them the opportunity to share their experiences and help improve services for future victims.

Launched by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), the forum will bring together people who have been victims of crime in Gloucestershire within the last three years.

Members will be invited to share their views on policing, victim support services and the wider criminal justice system, ensuring their experiences help inform future decisions, policies and commissioning.

The forum aims to ensure that services remain responsive, accessible and shaped by those who use them.

By listening directly to victims, criminal justice agencies will be better able to identify emerging needs, evaluate services and strengthen accountability across the victim care pathway.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire, Chris Nelson, said: "Victims of crime have a unique insight into how well the criminal justice system responds when people need help most. Through unfortunate circumstance, you now have first-hand experiences that can highlight what is working well, but also where improvements need to be made.

"The Victim Engagement Forum will give people the opportunity to share their experiences and ensure their voices are heard. By listening to victims and learning from their experiences, we can help shape better services.

"I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime in Gloucestershire in the last three years to consider joining the forum and helping us make a difference for future victims."

Victims Hub Manager & Victim Lead at Gloucestershire Constabulary, Helen Pritchard said: "On behalf of the Constabulary we are grateful to the OPCC for creating this opportunity for us to hear from victims and survivors about their experiences. The victim engagement forum will allow us and our partners to put the voice of victims at the heart of our policy and decision making in a really meaningful way. Each voice and journey is important, and we welcome the opportunity to help us shape our future service to victims of Gloucestershire."

Being a victim of crime can have a lasting emotional, psychological, physical and financial impact. The forum has been established to help place victims' experiences at the heart of service development and improvement across Gloucestershire.

Members of the forum will join an index of victims who are willing to be contacted by the OPCC, Gloucestershire Constabulary and partner criminal justice organisations to provide feedback and contribute to consultation and engagement activities.

People interested in joining the Victim Engagement Forum can find out more and register online via the OPCC website: Victim Engagement Forum