Voice
July 2012
The Magazine of Victim Support Scotland
Winning the future
A huge thank-you: One of the highlights of the conference was the stylish awards dinner at which 20 volunteers and staff were presented with
awards and certificates to mark their long service of between 15, 20 and 25 years. See Page 5 for a full list of award winners
VICTIM Support Scotland
stands at a historic turning point, the hugely
successful Staff and Volunteers Conference
held in Edinburgh from
July 2 to 4 was told.
Deputy Chief Executives
Susan Gallagher and Jim
Andrews told the nearly
200 people who attended
the event in Edinburgh
University’s John McIntyre
Building that forthcoming
legislative changes offered far-reaching potential improvements
for victims and witnesses
which could exceed all of
our expectations.
Susan Gallagher said
that VSS had arrived at
this point through its
own determination to
challenge the way that
Scotland as a country
cared for and supported victims and witnesses.
She said that a new EU
Directive, to be voted on
Conference reports and
pictures − Pages 4&5
in September, would enshrine rights for victims for the first time
and in Scotland the Government would meet
its objectives with a new
Victims and Witnesses of
Crime Bill.
Jim Andrews said that the Scottish Government’s approach
to the new Bill came after
discussions with VSS and
partner agencies, and importantly the views of
victims and witnesses
themselves.
VSS Chair Bob Leitch
welcomed delegates and
David McKenna, Chief Executive, emphasised
the event’s importance in
informing staff and volunteers of the advances achieved by the organisation.
2
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Hard work . . .
but there
was some
time to play!
I WAS absolutely overwhelmed to participate in
the Staff and Volunteer Conference held at
Edinburgh University’s Pollock Halls complex.
Almost 200 staff and volunteers took part in the
event which was extremely well organised by a
team led by Deputy Chief Executive Jim Andrews.
The first day focussed on the new Victims and
Witnesses Rights Bill which is under consultation
and will come before the Scottish Parliament later
this year. The Bill, in conjunction with the new EU
Informative: The top table answer questions at the Staff and Volunteers event
Directive, will change dramatically the status of
Volunteer Influence, Protecting Information and Culture in
victims and witnesses in Scotland and throughout Europe.
Action. The feedback from these sessions was extremely
At last victims and witnesses will be recognised within the
judicial system – a major success for our organisation as we positive and there was much evidence that the new ways of
working are settling down and the integration of the witness
have been striving towards this for many years.
and victims services is making steady progress.
The delegates had the opportunity to examine and
Socially, everyone appeared to enjoy themselves, with Ian
consider the implications of this new legislation and I think
Chisholm leading a city walk on Monday night despite the
everyone came away more aware of the changes ahead.
weather and Kate Caskie and Heather Dickson providing a
The second day began with an excellent presentation from
most enjoyable and hilarious quiz.
Deputy Chief Constable Steve Allen of Lothian and Borders
The Awards Dinner on Tuesday evening was also a most
Police, on the future of policing in Scotland and the
importance of ensuring that the new arrangements would be enjoyable event with 20 members of staff and volunteers
being recognised for 15, 20 and 25 years’ service.
made to fit with the many and different communities across
The conference ended with a detailed presentation by
the land. He complimented VSS on its speedy
communications, noting that a report of first-day proceedings Deputy Chief Executives Susan Gallagher and Jim Andrews,
on the future and way ahead for Victim Support Scotland.
of the event was on the VSS website the same evening.
All in all, it was an enjoyable, interesting and informative
The rest of the day focussed more on the internal issues of
event which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who took
Victim Support Scotland and on the important role played in
part. It was my pleasure to be one of them.
our organisation by our army of volunteers.
The workshops included sessions on Supporting Victims,
Victims Affected by Serious Crime, Working with Children,
Bob Leitch, Chair
3
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Europe set for vote
The Strasbourg
Parliament is expected
to vote in September
The negotiations regarding the new
eU Directive on establishing
minimum standards on the rights,
support and protection of victims of
crime is coming to an end and the
european Institutions have now
reached an agreement on the
wording of the text.
The eU Parliament has planned a
formal vote on the text for
September 2012, after which the
Council of the european Union will
have its vote.
The aim of the Directive is to
“ensure that victims are recognised
and treated in a respectful, sensitive,
individual, professional and
non-discriminatory manner”.
The Directive formalises victims’
rights in a range of areas, including:
■ Right to understand and to be
understood
■ Right to receive information
■ Right to interpretation and
translation
By Frida Wheldon,
Senior Research & Policy Officer
■ Right to access support services
■ Right to be heard
■ Right to legal aid
■ Right to repayment of expenses
■ Right to a decision on
compensation from the offender in
the course of criminal proceedings
■ Right to protection
■ Right to avoidance of contact
between victim and offender
■ Right to protection of privacy
■ Individual assessments of
victims’ protection needs
■ Training of practitioners
■ Co-operation of services
The Directive strengthens victims’
rights to support services, stating
that “Member States shall ensure
that victims, in accordance with their
needs, have access to free of
charge, confidential victim support
services acting in the interests of the
victims before, during and for an
appropriate time after criminal
proceedings.” Services should be
available to victims regardless of
whether or not they have reported
the crime.
however, since the police are
often well-placed to provide
information on support services, the
Directive includes a call on Member
States to facilitate referrals from
police to victim support services.
To ensure that victims receive
protection and support to meet their
needs, they should receive a timely
and individual assessment to
determine whether they would
benefit from special measures. The
assessment will take into account:
■ the characteristics of the victim;
■ the type or nature of the crime;
■ the circumstances of the crime
The Directive will be implemented
in Scotland through the
Government’s new Victims’ &
Witnesses’ Bill.
4
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
VSS will rise to chall
REfERRALS to Victim Support
Scotland are likely to rise to 300,000
next year and there is a pressing
need to avoid unnecessary
bureaucracy and free up resources
to cope with rising demand.
That was the stark warning from
Deputy Chief Executives Susan
Gallagher and Jim Andrews to the
staff and volunteer conference at
Edinburgh University.
Both emphasised their belief that
the reshaped organisation was
capable of meeting such challenges.
Jim Andrews pointed out that 10
years ago referrals stood at 43,000
a year and everyone insisted that
VSS could not cope with increased
demand but it had coped.
Susan Gallagher said that 2012
had been the best year ever for VSS
with 193,000 people involved in
services from the charity and that,
with the automatic transfer of data
(ADT) from police forces and the
establishment of a single police
force in Scotland that figure was
expected to rise as predicted.
She outlined plans to extend phone
support to 24 hours a day and to
develop the National Support Centre.
Earlier, VSS Chair Bob Leitch told
the conference that volunteers are
ABOVE:
Almost 200 staff
and volunteers
attended.
LEFT: Hard at
work in one of
the workshops
RIGHT: Guest
speaker Steve
Allen, right, is
introduced by
Chair Bob Leitch
the lifeblood of VSS and the charity
simply could not exist without them.
Guest speaker Steve Allen, Deputy
Chief Constable of Lothian &
Borders Police, said communication
was crucial for the police in how they
assisted victims of crime.
He said that the ethos for him was
accountability: to accept that from
the moment a crime occurred there
was a need to consider all elements
involved and ensure the process
kept everyone informed of what was
happening, and where it would lead.
In a busy three-day programme
staff and volunteers attended
workshops on the details and
implications for VSS of the Victims
5
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
lenge ahead
ABOVE: Quiz night was a great success and a
chance to meet and talk informally
Welcome to
the Intranet
The VSS Intranet, the charity's newest
communication tool, was
unveiled at the conference.
Over the coming weeks all staff and
volunteers will be provided with a link
to create an ID and password to give
access to the intranet via the VSS
website. All volunteers have been sent
a letter with this edition of Voice asking
them to identify their email address so
the password link can be sent.
We recognise that not all volunteers
will have access to a computer. They
will continue to receive printed
information.If you have any questions,
please email Chris Macrae at:
[email protected]
Long service award winners
Awards were presented at the gala dinner to:
25 years – Volunteers: Ian Currie, VS North Ayrshire; Tom Taylor, MBE,
and Witnesses Bill and EU Directive.
A second day of workshops covered
different practical aspects of the
work of the charity and was followed
by an inspiring session exchanging
best practice and developments
around the charity.
A report on the three-day event will
be published later.
and Theresa Taylor, VS North Lanarkshire. Staff: Ann Eadie, VS North
Lanarkshire; David McKenna, OBE.
20 years – Volunteers: Alastair Macauley, WS South Lanarkshire; Alec
Mooney, VS South Ayrshire; Drew Dempster, MBE, VS Renfrewshire; Gerda
Scott, VS South Ayrshire. Staff: Sandra Haggerty, VS South Lanarkshire.
15 years – Volunteers: Ronald Ainsworth, VS South Ayrshire; Gillian
Howarth, VS Highlands; Roderick Brodie, VS South Ayrshire; Margo Small, WS
Ayr; Bob Leitch, National VSS Chair. Staff: Joyce Cooke, VS Dumfries & Galloway; Janie Mortimer, VS South Ayrshire; Maria Sherry, VS Aberdeen; Gordon
England, National Office; Ann Marie Adair, VS Glasgow.
6
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
‘And the provost stood in a puddle’
West Lothian Area Chair Peter Kirk is retiring from his role. We asked him about the job and its importance
Q how did you start with VSS?
Q What does an Area Chair add?
When the Lothian Council of Victim
Support Scotland was being set up I
went to the meeting and was so
impressed I decided I wanted to join.
I was a member of the inaugural area
committee from October 1998, went
on to be vice-chair and became
Area Chair in 2006.
I knew well how much VSS’s
volunteers and staff do to help
people. I’d been involved in setting up
the single charity and when our chair
left I was urged to take over.
Area committees and the National
Council have been going through a
period of wondering what they’re all
about and I’ve noticed that the
number of meetings has declined, but
they are important because they give
a chance to meet and raise issues.
It’s important for a chair to ask
questions and take part positively in
discussions. We mediate between
national aims and local practicalities,
bringing back information and issues
discussed nationally to our local
areas. An Area Chair is there for their
local staff and volunteers, but also to
support staff nationally.
Q What’s most important in the job?
Q What would you change?
If I’ve learned one thing over the
years of committee work it’s that you
have to enable things to happen. I
feel my most important tasks are to
support staff who work so hard, and
encourage volunteers. I’m also keen
to make people aware of the work
they and VSS do and increase their
understanding of the plight of
victims and witnesses. And
finally, it’s vital to raise
funds. We put a lot of
effort into that and
we’ve been very good
at raising funds.
I feel Area Chairs should be given
more freedom to spend – wisely – the
funds raised locally. Different areas,
have different workloads and this
needs to be recognised
to allow some more
flexibility
Q Why did you become Area Chair?
Peter Kirk
and his wife
Elisabeth
in getting extra help for overstretched
staff. It’s also becoming increasingly
difficult to recruit committee members
when you tell them one of the main
duties will be to fundraise. People
don’t like to have to go out and knock
on doors.
Q What have been your highlights?
We’ve had a great deal of success
building up the local organisation over
the years and we’ve had numerous
public events that have been a great
joy. Our celebration marking 10 years,
held in 2008 in Bathgate was a real
highlight and made us realise just
how much we had achieved. We have
helped many thousands of victims,
and have managed to help win a
remarkable £2million from CICA.
Ultimately, it’s helping the victims and
witnesses that’s the biggest highlight.
And then of course there was the day
that I opened the car door for a visiting Provost to find that his chauffeur
had parked next to a puddle – that
was a highlight!
Q What are your memories of VSS?
I’d sum up my time by saying that I’ve
been enthusiastic. My attitude is:
let’s get on with it. I’m proud of
what we do and I will always
be a champion of VSS.
7
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Moray on the
march for funds
Doors open
g A SUCCESSfUL open
day was held in Glenrothes
on Thursday, May 31, to
celebrate the opening of
the new Victim Support
Scotland fife office.
Guests from fife Police,
SACRO, the Community
Safety Partnership,
among others, met staff
and volunteers.
MORE THAN 500 walkers turned out to help
raise funds on Moray Rotary Club’s 14th
annual Six Harbours Walk on May 6.
This year a team of four women from
Johnston’s of Elgin entered and walked on
behalf of Victim Support Scotland Moray and
one other local charity.
Weather conditions on the day were
absolutely perfect – blue sunny skies for the
sponsored event of 16 miles along the coastal
footpath and visiting Portsoy, Sandend, Cullen,
Portknockie, findochty and ending at Buckie.
VSS Moray was also invited to have a stall at
the Rotary club’s Motorfun Day in the Cooper
They belong to Glasgow
The pick of the bunch
A GROUP of Glasgow Witness Service volunteers
received long service awards from Chief Executive
David McKenna (rear right). They are (rear left to right)
Isabella Devine, Andy Jordan, Jim Devenny, (front)
Thia Dumayne, Janette Millar, Jean Howe, Ann King
with Annette Shaw, Service Delivery Officer.
VSS is helping to Keep Scotland Beautiful thanks to
the efforts of an intrepid band from the South Ayrshire
office who joined a litter-pick in Ayr in May. Another
group also joined the litter-pick in Prestwick.
Piece of cake
g VSS Scottish Borders
brewed up a healthy £500
boost for funds with a
coffee morning and cake
stall. The Galashiels event
– attended by police, SB
wardens and the public –
also helped raise
awareness of services.
Park, Elgin, held on the Sunday of the
Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. The
event was a great success, helping to
raising awareness of our services and
raising £324 on the day.
Perth says thank-you
PerTh Sheriff Court Witness Service volunteers
Iain Stuart and Judith Strachan were presented with
five-year awards at a recent lunch, as well as flowers
and whisky in appreciation of all their hard work.
8
Voice of Victim Support Scotland
Pupils’ words of wisdom
THE word is out. . .
Cumbernauld's Abronhill
High School won the Victim
Support Scotland
Lanarkshire Schools 2012
Speaking Competition.
Teams from eight schools
debated the premise:
"Teenagers of today are
irresponsible and should be
kept indoors until they are
too old to indulge in antisocial behaviour" at the
VSS and Network
Rail-backed contest in
South Lanarkshire
Council's Hamilton HQ.
The standard was so high
that it proved impossible to
separate the runners-up
with teams from Larkhall
Academy and St Maurice's
High School, Cumbernauld,
finishing joint second.
Zac Reid from Clyde
Valley High School in
Voice is published by
Victim Support Scotland
15/23 Hardwell Close,
Edinburgh EH8 9RX
Tel: 0131 668 4486
Fax: 0131 662 5400
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.victimssupportsco.org.uk
VSS is a company limited
by guarantee
Registered number 110185
Recognised as a charity by
the Inland Revenue
Scottish Charity No SC002138
ABOVE: Two contestants show a lot of
character with their presentation
LEFT: The Abronhill High winners
Wishaw was the winning
essay writer and Heather
Trayner from Larkhall
Academy took the plaudits
in the poster competition.
The event, which aimed
to get young people to
think more about the
impact of vandalism and
anti-social behaviour, was
judged by Ben Hall of
Network Rail, Kate Jackson
of Crimestoppers, Chief
Superintendent Ellie Bird of
British Transport Police, Chief
Superintendent Nelson Telfer,
of Strathclyde Police, Alan
McCloskey head of Victim
and Witness Services and
Margaret Mcfarlane South
Lanarkshire Area Chair.
Heather Dickson, Business
Charity’s international status grows
A GROUP from Victim Support Scotland, including Chair Bob Leitch and
Executive Board members Alan Davie and Ian Chisholm, and David
McKenna,Susan Gallagher and Frida Wheldon attended the 14th International Symposium World Society of Victimology in The Hague in May.
Some 500 participants were at the event which had 10 plenary sessions
and more than 300 speakers taking part in some 140 workshops.
Ian Chisholm said: “It was obvious from the symposium that VSS is held
in high regard internationally, not least because of our position providing
David McKenna as President and policy support for VSE. Three themes
on Victims Rights; Transitional Justice; and Trauma, Resilience and Justice
were particularly relevant to VSS and it was a worthwhile event to attend
given our high international profile and the policy implications for us.”
Designed and edited by The Words Agency, 20 Minto St, edinburgh, eh9 1rQ Tel 07896 259277
Delivery Manager for
Lanarkshire said: "All in all
the pupils from all eight
schools who participated
throughout the heats and
finals events contributed to
the highest standards.
“I’d say there are definitely
some future speaking,
art and writing stars among
them.”
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