Witness Care Unit Celebrates 1st Birthday
WITNESS CARE UNIT CELEBRATES 1ST BIRTHDAY
This week, Wiltshire's Witness Care Unit (WCU) celebrates its first anniversary. The unit, which is based at the CPS offices in Chippenham, was launched initially on March 7, 2005, to cover the north and west Wiltshire areas, but in November 2005, it expanded to cover south and east Wiltshire and one month later, expanded further to include the Swindon area.
Staffing levels have increased from four to six, with two more Witness Care Officers due to start in the near future, plus the Unit Manager. WCU staff are from both the CPS and the Police and the WCU team has a vast amount of contact with victims and witnesses. Each victim and witness has direct contact with a dedicated witness care officer and since the WCU has expanded, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of contact with both victims and witnesses. There has also been much greater liaison with support agencies, such as Victim Support, The Witness Service, Probation Service, the Courts, Domestic Violence Unit, Child Protection Unit, Vulnerable Adults and Youth Offending Team.
This contact with victims and witnesses might entail explanation of how the system works in relation to the progression of a court case, assessment of the needs of an individual, special measures such as consideration of screens for court, video links, pre-court trial visits, transport arrangements and other facts that need to be considered, for example, if someone is in a wheelchair they may need special transport, assistance with access and so on. Offences vary from serious assault cases, fatalities, domestic violence, burglary, theft and public order offences, so the WCU team has to be both informed and timely with providing information.
WCU manager, Sergeant Ken Godfrey, said:
'I am delighted with the dedication of the staff in the Unit and proud of the high standard we are able to offer the people of Wiltshire. We have increased our coverage area to encompass the whole of Wiltshire and Swindon and this will ensure that victims and witnesses will receive a high level of support, no matter where they are'. 'This service would seem to have increased the quantity of guilty pleas to cases at court, and I believe this can only enhance the public's perception of the Criminal Justice System as a whole. One term used to describe the process of a witness care case is 'from the cradle to the grave', which means from the initial plea and referral to WCU, right through to the conclusion of the case and referral to any other support agencies, where relevant'. 'We are shortly expanding the team by another two witness care officers and this will further enhance the service we provide'.
For further details, contact the WCU on 01249 766185.