Police Scotland Strategic Context

An aim of the Scottish Government Vision for Justice in Scotland 2022 is that:

“We have effective, modern, person-centred and trauma-informed approaches to justice in which everyone can have trust, including as victims, those accused of crimes and as individuals in civil disputes”

In 2024, Police Scotland outlined their 2030 Vision of “safer communities, less crime, supported victims, and a thriving workforce”.

To deliver this, they developed a Three-Year Business Plan 2024-27 (hereby referred to as “the Plan”). The Plan states that the criminal justice system needs reformed if “we are to ensure that victims receive the care and outcomes they deserve” and that part of achieving the 2030 Vision is to “ensure that victims are fully heard and supported, with our service more tailored to victim needs through our trauma informed approach”. Progress is reported to the Authority’s Policing Performance Committee every six months.

The Plan lists various actions that will achieve this. These include:

Support being delivered from the outset and provision of tailored care at the earliest opportunity.

Reflecting the voices of survivors of violence against women and girls in the actions of Police Scotland.

Improving the response to victims of anti-social behaviour via community policing (ASB).

Improving public contact.

Offering improved trauma informed victim care.

Reducing the number of times victims have to recount experiences.

Complete review of third-party reporting in relation to hate crime.

Roll out Summary Case Management Pilot.

Supporting a pilot of domestic abuse courts and an established mechanism to receive feedback to improve victim care.