Victim Support provides emotional support, information and practical help to victims and witnesses of crime and their families. Victim Support services are free and confidential and available to anyone who has been affected by crime, whether or not the crime has been reported and whenever the crime took place.

The Children and Young Persons Service (C&YPS) - MARAC Lewisham

John Laing through the John Laing Charitable Trust has provided funding for a dedicated Young Victim Advocate Worker to enhance the existing range of services delivered by C&YPS.This has allowed a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference approach (MARAC) to be adopted to more effectively manage the continuous growth of referrals.The MARAC has proved to be a invaluable service allowing the early identification and appropriate intervention, thereby helping to break the cycle of re-victimisation and re-offence. The project in Lewishamis attached to the UK's largest Victim Support centre.

John Laing's funding supports a full time coordinator for theMARAC.This role includes the collection of evidence to enable the department of justice to fund the expansion of the project.

Within just a few months MARAC has become operational on a day-today basis and grounded into common practice at the C&YPS at Victim Support.

MARAC has achieved its objective by creating aneffective information sharing forum between key agencies.This has already resulted in improved support being made available for victims who are at most risk of repeat victimisation or turning to offending.Cases have already come to light in the MARAC which would have otherwise been overlooked by the mainstream processes.Additonally, the risk assessment process has ensured that effective safety planning for victims and their families are effectively implemented - and with immediate effect.

MARAC has also identified lower level risk by ensuring that all victims of crimes involving violence are risk-assessed. This leads to more long term goals being set such as diversionary activities, victim awareness/emotional support, support at schoole/college and subjects for Trilogy Plus (a local project which deals with the holistic needs of young people who are committed to leaving gangs/high risk situations that are putting themselves and their families at risk).

We are very proud to display the Community Investment Certificate recently awarded to the John Laing Charitable Trust in recognition of their work in establishing the MARAC Children and Young Person's Service in Lewisham

The Children and Young Person's Service in Lewisham

Endorsement

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