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Indirect victims support officer

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edel2020

Member since
March 2022

373 posts

Posted Wed June 14, 2023 3:14pmReport post

Lincolnshire police have created a new job for an indirect victims support officer, who would be there to help the families and they have had other police forces, in Essex, Surrey, Norfolk, Hampshire and Sussex, contact them about setting up something similar in those areas too.

This won't happen overnight, but for people in those areas, who are already on this journey, it is something to bear in mind. In Lincolnshire, the officer is supporting people from the knock all the way through to the sentencing, so they would be able to answer a lot of the queries that we see on here, about the legal process and how long it takes to check devices etc.

Parkerpoo1

Member since
July 2022

252 posts

Posted Wed June 14, 2023 6:43pmReport post

Post deleted


Edited Thu December 21, 2023 10:08am

Daffodil

Member since
March 2022

965 posts

Posted Sun June 18, 2023 6:46amReport post

Post deleted


Edited Tue October 24, 2023 9:12am

Webb89

Member since
July 2022

438 posts

Posted Sun June 18, 2023 10:54amReport post

I am afraid I am with Daffodill. Before this awful situation I would have agreed and said it was a nice gesture from the police. However, when it all kicked off my OH was arrested and was on remand so i was on my own. I have multiple visits from the police for all sorts of things. I had read police are not your friends so tried to control my answers as i babble when i am nervous. Even though they were 'just' chatting and i was told this is not recorded there was a PC writing down everything i was saying! So in a situation i could barely get any sleep could not speak to my OH they were recording everything that was being said.

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

635 posts

Posted Sun June 18, 2023 2:31pmReport post

Daffodil and Webb89

I am with you both, based on my own experience, would not trust the police as far as I could spit. I think a visit from someone from the police, supposedly offering support, would only fuel my anxiety

Blue Sky

Member since
February 2023

205 posts

Posted Sun June 18, 2023 4:13pmReport post

Post deleted


Edited Fri January 12, 2024 4:16pm

Polly Pocket

Member since
May 2022

440 posts

Posted Sun June 18, 2023 8:46pmReport post

My reaction was *eff that* when I read this post, I'm afraid. I'm with Daffodil.

For this to be effective there would need to be an element of trust.

I will never, ever trust a police officer again, no matter their job role and I certainly wouldn't have wanted one anywhere near me in the beginning.

I haven't had a particularly bad experience with them either - I'm just not nieve enough to think they are nice people or not corrupt as an organisation.

A volunteer from the community who has lived experience and isn't employed by the police is a suggestion I could imagine.

SoTired

Member since
March 2021

387 posts

Posted Sun June 18, 2023 10:13pmReport post

I think that there should be independent advocates. Not tied to SS, Police etc.

Local, independent people who are not necessarily "professionals" but who have had specific, targeted, evidence informed training on all aspects of a family's experiences who are there for you and you alone and will not be tied to an investigation where there is confidentiality underpinning it (unless of course there was a glaring safeguarding issue but this is what SS are identifying with regards to protectiveness)

LFF are an incredible source of support but they are not local, cannot sit with you and don't know the particulars of your case. They can listen but have not experienced it themselves.

For example, the wider effects even once the dust settles. This week I have experienced the wider effects based on my experiences (but also linked to really bad management from an individual at work) where this has led to me falling apart somewhat and destroying my confidence in my ability at work - under this scrutiny, it was all too much after all of the scrutiny we have lived under for the past 2 1/2 years and I ended up crying at work!!! Couldn't stop. I'm not a crier unless under extreme duress and genuinely incredibly positive. Could have done with someone this week! But it is definitely tied to my experiences.

Edited Sun June 18, 2023 10:17pm

Life feels over

Member since
September 2022

412 posts

Posted Mon June 19, 2023 8:43amReport post

It's not something I would welcome unless independent of the police.

edel2020

Member since
March 2022

373 posts

Posted Mon June 19, 2023 3:27pmReport post

Blue sky

This officers job is not to help the police with their mental health. That may have been one of the motivations for creating the role, but it is not what they do, on a day to day basis.

Unfortunately we don't appear to have anyone from Lincolnshire on the forum, who can give us first hand experience of what this officer is like to deal with. I only know what I have read online.

Blue Sky

Member since
February 2023

205 posts

Posted Mon June 19, 2023 4:13pmReport post

Post deleted


Edited Fri January 12, 2024 4:16pm