Appendix 19 - Victim Enquiry Unit |
The National Probation Service Victim Enquiry Unit is required to make contact with the victims of offences of violence and sexual matters. The purpose of this contact is to inform victims about the prison sentence, the date of the offender's release and any temporary release which may take place.
The victim will be able to ask for conditions to be inserted into the offender's parole or automatic conditional release supervision licence.
When the victim is a child, the first line of enquiry by the Victim Enquiry Unit will be with Wolverhampton Children and Young People's Department. A decision will then be made about the most appropriate way of making contact with the victim, depending on the level of the Directorate's involvement.
Procedure
- If the case is allocated to a social worker, the enquiry should be forwarded to the child's social worker by the VEU Officer. The social worker and VEU Officer will decide upon the most appropriate way of making contact with the child
- Where a child victim is not known to the Children & Young People's Service the enquiry should be referred to the Duty Social Worker of the Duty and Assessment Team. The Duty Social Worker and VEU Officer will make a decision about the most appropriate way of making contact with the child
- All referrals will be accompanied by the completed Notification of Child in Need Form (SC1)
- Where the Children & Young People's Service are not involved, but the child victim has previously been an active case the procedure in paragraph 2 above will apply
- The VEU Officer will inform the victim and the child's social worker of the outcomes of the parole application, temporary release decisions and any conditions which may be applied to the licences.
End