NCJ Number
128493
Date Published
1990
Length
71 pages
Annotation
This study considers the impact of changes associated with Home Office funding of local victim compensation programs in Great Britain.
Abstract
Over the past decade, significant changes have occurred in the funding environment within which local victim support schemes work. One of the most significant changes has been the decision of the Home Office in 1987 to provide large-scale financial assistance through the national Office of Victim Support to local schemes for the costs of employing a coordinator or for operations. This study considers the changes associated with this funding over the first 18 months. The study examines whether this funding might result in a decrease in income from the voluntary sector, fewer or more volunteers or paid staff, better planning and a larger number of projects, and loss of independence. The study also considers the extent to which the characteristics of local victim support schemes have changed in response to Home Office funding. The study concludes that Home Office funding has been associated with significant increases in the volume of work conducted, in the amount of long-term support offered, and in the prevalence of automatic referral arrangements with the police; however, neither volunteer resources nor the proportion of referred victims who received visits has increased significantly. 5 tables, 10 references, and appended data