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18th November 2022
Katherine De Carteret Morier House
St Helier
Jersey
JE1 1DD
Dear Katherine,
Jersey Action Against Rape, Government Plan Scrutiny Submission
Thank you for your letter dated 9th November identifying our organisation as one that may be able to provide comments and/or views in relation to the following projects:
Dewberry House
Police Resourcing
Victim Support
Associated costs of Domestic Abuse Law
On an introductory note, I believe it is important to explain what our role is as a charitable organisation and how we support members of our community.
We provide a Helpline and Counselling service for anyone in Jersey aged 18 and over, of any gender and is a survivor themselves, a family member or, friend of a survivor who has experienced sexual assault or rape. The Helpline provides a listening service for those who feel ready to take the, sometimes, very difficult first step of speaking to someone about their trauma. The Counselling service is independent, confidential and specialised for sexual trauma.
Dewberry House
P.55 of R.146/2022 does not seem to provide any detail of the funding intended for Dewberry House. I can only assume that it is the capital funding that can be found in the main government plan document on page 55 of P.97/2022. There is not a great deal that
can be said about the £2.8m proposed as there is no detail as to what it is for or what the expected outcomes are proposed to be for 2023 for this service. There does not seem to be any other documentation that is publicly accessible that explains exactly what this funding will do to either improve services or continue business as usual.
Our comments would merely be that the Sexual Assault Referral Centre is of great importance to the community of Jersey with the support of the Independent Sexual Violence Advocates and the Forensic teams.
Police Resourcing
Page 68 of R.146/2022 refers to an increase in revenue funding to increase the number of police officers for the States of Jersey Police. There is not a great deal to comment on other than the important role that the Police play in supporting and safeguarding victims of crime in Jersey and this funding appears to be to ensure business as usual continues.
Victim Support
Page 68 of R.146/2022 refers to funding of £325k per year due to the unsustainable nature of the initial funding plan from Building a Safer Society Fund.
Victims First is a welcome initiative but it is not clear in any documentation on how this will complement and build upon the investment already made on the sexual and domestic abuse services.
The ability to properly comment on any of these funds is limited by the lack of clear budget lines for each service and the growth needed and aligned to expected Government outcomes.
The introduction of a Victim Witness Charter is a fantastic starting point and we would ask how this correlates with the guidance published by the Attorney General's office and what assurances are given to victims of crime that there is a confidence in the confidentiality and independence of the service.
Associated Costs of Domestic Abuse Law
Page 68 of R.146/2022 is a sum of £200k per year to meet additional demand on services. Again, there is no clarity in the documentation on what these additional demands are and how these fit with other areas of growth in victim support, grants to agencies or whether it is for further policy work. Therefore, the question is, where is the demand and who will be responsible for ensuring demands are met.
A line of growth requirement within the government plan is for Jersey Womens Refuge of £85k for the impact of COVID. If the government recognise that there is additional demand for them with a law that has not received approval via an appointed day act to date, then why have they not recognised the potential impact the legislation will have on the likes of the refuge?
It is important to make clear that we do not receive any grants from the States of Jersey. Referrals are made from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre based on a service level agreement that is no longer valid. Discussions continue around a new service level agreement.
In summary, it is very difficult to comment on the benefits or otherwise of growth spending without having clarity around purpose, goals and expected outcomes of each project in conjunction with current spend. It is important for us, as a charity, to be able to work collaboratively and strengthen relationships with agencies such as Dewberry House and Victims Support in the wonderful work they do to assist clients on their healing journeys and provide clear pathways at a time of need.
I hope this submission is helpful to the important role of scrutiny and I appreciate you reaching out to us to seek our views.
Yours sincerely
Tracey Le Brocq
Chief Executive Officer Jersey Action Against Rape