Depending on their varying needs and experiences, victims of crime may require a range of support. Support roles can provide a range of services including providing emotional and practical support to help victims make informed choices, navigating support services, and engaging with the criminal justice system (if they choose to do so). The type and level of support provided by these roles varies from case to case depending on the needs of the individual.
	In "Delivering justice for victims: A consultation on improving victims’ experiences of the justice system", the Government consulted on how to strengthen victim advocate roles, with a focus on Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). The Government subsequently looked into how better join-up can be promoted across agencies, reviewing the standards they operate under, alongside guidance and frameworks. The Government continued to engage with the third sector to understand which victim support roles would benefit from statutory guidance.
	The Act creates a duty for the Secretary of State to issue guidance about victim support roles that are specified in regulations. The Act also gives the Secretary of State a power to make regulations that specify the victim support roles for this purpose. This approach allows for the flexibility to add further roles in the future where there is a sufficient case for statutory guidance. The intention is that these regulations will define the victim support roles for the purpose of requiring statutory guidance to be published, which will set out more information about these roles. It is recognised that the guidance will, in many cases, articulate a range of support provided by a particular role that goes beyond what is described in the definition of that role.
	Guidance issued will improve clarity and awareness of the functions of the relevant victim support roles and encourage greater consistency across the sector. Guidance will include content on the core functions of the role and the support it provides, appropriate training, and how other individuals and relevant agencies can best work with the roles to holistically support victims. The guidance will reflect the broad nature of the roles and the need to consider support on an individual basis, including how the roles can best support children (persons under the age of 18) and those with protected characteristics.
	The Act places duties to have regard to this guidance on all person with functions of a public nature relating to victims of crime, or any aspect of the criminal justice system where they are exercising such a function and the guidance is relevant to the exercise of that function (with the exception of the Judiciary so as to preserve judicial independence). This aims to foster greater collaboration and effective working across agencies in order to support victims’ needs.
Policy background Victim support services