VWISG/19/05
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1. Reid-Howie were commissioned in the summer of 2004 to carry out a review of information flows on victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system to ascertain the effectiveness of information sharing and to assess the possibility of putting in place a more integrated system. The report, which has yet to be finalised, has identified:-
- problems with data gathering;
- variations in definitions used across agencies,
- differences in the understanding of data protection and data management;
- difficulties in determining the numbers accessing services;
- no systems in place for tracking individuals through services; and
- structured information gathering is not possible at present.
2. To improve the situation, the contractor has proposed, as far as feasible, national gathering of data. It is accepted that this would not help with the issue of tracking, and longitudinal research will be needed to provide a clearer picture of victims' help seeking behaviour and gaps in service. However, useful information could still be garnered and the report recommends that work should be put in hand to agree:-
- shared definitions;
- common data standards;
- core data sets;
- secondary data sets; and to
- tidy up information provision and referral routes between agencies.
3. The findings and recommendations raise a number of issues, and the views of key agencies have been invited before the report is signed-off. That process is expected to be completed in March, with the final report being published shortly afterwards. Thereafter the report will be referred to the Victim Steering Group to decide how to take matters forward.
4 Members are invited to note the progress made on this project.
SEJD
Victims and Witnesses Unit
February 2005