Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire has announced new services to support victims of crime across Lancashire from April 2025.

For the first time, commissioned victim services available will include specialist, dedicated support for victims of stalking which will be delivered by Paladin.  Their team of accredited Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers offers specialist advice, advocacy, and support, ensuring that victims are protected, and their voices are heard.

Specialist support for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence will be delivered by dedicated teams within Victim Support. Their specially trained professionals will listen to and support victims in a non-judgemental way, prioritising their safety and confidentiality.

Support for young victims of crime will continue to be delivered by Victim Support, through Nest Lancashire.

A new service, Victim Care Lancashire, will offer support for any other type of crime. The team of specially trained Victim Care Advisers, based within Lancashire Constabulary, will provide free, confidential and non-judgemental support and practical help. This includes emotional support, listening to victims’ concerns, and signposting towards additional support that may be available depending on what they may need.

Anyone who reports a crime to Lancashire Police and consents to their details being shared to access local services will be contacted with the offer of support.

From April onwards, details for all commissioned services, will be also available online at victimcarelancashire.org.

Commissioner Grunshaw said: “Commissioning services for victims of crime is a key part of my role and one that I take very seriously.

“While it is absolutely vital that we tackle crime to avoid people from falling victim in the first place, it is so important to have the right support in place if they do.

“I am confident that the services I have commissioned will offer the expert, dedicated support people need and deserve to help them move forward if they have been affected by crime.

“Anyone in Lancashire can access these services confidentially and free of charge and I would urge anybody who needs emotional support or practical help following a crime to visit victimcarelancashire.org to find contact details for all available services and to access their support.”

Louise, Chief Operating Officer at Paladin said: “Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service are delighted to be working alongside Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure victims of stalking in Lancashire have access to support.

“Having a dedicated service in Lancashire is a much needed and positive step forward to improving the response to victims of stalking across the area.”

Gemma Smith, Victim Care Lancashire Service Manager, added: “We’re really pleased to be able to offer support across Lancashire to help people who have been affected by crime, regardless of whether a crime has been reported to the police or not.

“This confidential service will be delivered by my team of advisers, who are available to listen to people in a non-judgemental way, offering emotional support and practical help tailored to anyone who needs it.”

Claire Powell, Area Manager at Victim Support, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the contracts for Sexual Violence and the Children and Young People’s service, Nest, alongside continuing our domestic abuse service delivery. We have been delivering these services for many years across Lancashire and understand how essential it is for victim-survivors to be able to access independent support.

“Our specialist, local staff will respond with empathy and understanding providing tailored support to each individual, helping them to cope, recover and rebuild their life after crime. We look forward to working closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner to deliver the best possible support for victims of crime”

Changes to services for victims of crime will come into effect from the 1st of April 2025. Until then, support continues to be available through Lancashire Victim Services.