The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (OPCC), victim care service has a new name. Signpost, the current name will be changing to ‘Bedfordshire Victim Care Services’ as of today (Wednesday 15th December).
Signpost, as it’s been known as since April 2018, is Bedfordshire’s dedicated victim care support service provided by Bedfordshire Police. They support anyone who has been affected by crime, whether it has been reported to the police or not.
The Signpost office, at Bedfordshire Police Headquarters, hosts a team of 11 Specialist Victim Care Co-ordinators, who provide emotional and practical support for victims. They also receive referrals from Officers who are directly dealing with victims.
Simon Powell, Head of Victim Services said “Feedback tells us that Signpost isn’t always easy for people to find, so we’ve made this change to essentially represent what the service does. We provide a care service for victims, so I think that this name fits the bill perfectly.
“The Signpost team and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner chose the final design and we’re looking forward to rolling this out with the aim of being even more accessible for victims and partners while still keeping our aim of putting victims at the core of everything we do and helping them to move forward with their life after crime.
“I’m proud of what Signpost has achieved in the last three and a half years. I’m really looking forward to continuing the success of the service and I want to thank officers and partners for their sustained support”.
Under the new name, the service will still provide the same excellent service and care for victims of crime. It’s the one-stop-shop for everything a victim of crime needs to know, offering practical and emotional support, restorative justice, and referrals to specialist support.
Gill Richardson, a Signpost Victim Care Coordinator said “Bedfordshire Victim Care Services is a name that will immediately inform people affected by crime that we provide a dedicated and caring support service for people who live in Bedfordshire. We will continue to provide specialist help to support people to cope and recover to the point where they feel they are back on track with their lives. Our new name will hopefully become renowned for providing a 1st class service to the people of Bedfordshire”.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and victim care team have encouraged partners and organisations directly linked to the OPCC to share this news and remove any Signpost collateral from offices and workspaces.
If you’d like to get in touch about this change or the service, please email info@bedfordshirevcs.com
New contact details
Website: www.bedfordshirevcs.com
Email: info@bedfordshirevcs.com
Twitter: @BedfordshireVCS