Agenda item - Victim Blaming Pledge

 A report of the Executive Director of Neighbourhoods, Communities and

Housing (copy attached)

RESOLVED: That the Committee agreed to the recommendations in the report as follows:

1.    To agree to the proposed actions by officers to implement the Victim Focus Charter Pledge when working with victims who have experienced trauma, abuse or crime, including asking victims how they have been treated.

2.    That officers provide committee with an update in 12 months on the impact signing the pledge has made to how the council works with victims who have experience trauma, abuse and crime.

10.1      Jo Player, Head of Safer Communities briefly summarised and introduced the report.

10.2      Councillor Moonan stated that it was important that the notice of motion was agreed unanimously and referred to Full Council.  She stated that she did not believe that this was an organisation where this was a major issue, however it was vital since it was not about virtue signalling.  She asked whether there were any performance measures of improvement in this area?

10.3      The Head of Safer Communities replied that she had been asked to undertake this piece of work and had not researched any performance measures at this stage but would do going forward and that she would inform the Committee and bring them up to speed in the future.

10.4      Councillor Powell stated that it was a really important notice of motion that had been brought by Councillor Emma Daniel to the Committee that challenged unconscious biases.  She stated that the report pinpoints the reason why the committee was here and that the client-centre approach was so important.

10.5      RESOLVED: That the Committee agreed to the recommendations in the report as follows:

1.                 To agree to the proposed actions by officers to implement the Victim Focus Charter Pledge when working with victims who have experienced trauma, abuse or crime, including asking victims how they have been treated.

2.                 That officers provide committee with an update in 12 months on the impact signing the pledge has made to how the council works with victims who have experience trauma, abuse and crime.