National Probation Service for England and Wales: Coronavirus

(asked on 19th March 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Victim Liaison Officers in the National Probation Service are expected to carry out home visits during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Lucy Frazer Portrait
Lucy Frazer
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This question was answered on 24th March 2020

The statutory National Probation Service Victim Contact Scheme is available to victims of violent and sexual offences, where the offender receives a sentence of 12 months or more. The Scheme provides victims with information and advice about the criminal justice process – including explaining the sentence, and ensuring that they are informed of the offender’s release.

In such cases, victims also have the statutory right to request conditions that can be attached to the offender's release licence. These can include a no contact condition, and an exclusion zone covering areas where the victim lives or works, or to which the victim travels frequently.

The Victim Liaison Officer will visit the victim at home, or at the victim’s preferred location, after sentence, to explain their rights under the Victim Contact Scheme.

In light of the public health advice encouraging social distancing, we have decided to suspend, in all but exceptional circumstances, home visits to victims. Victim Liaison Officers will continue to use alternative methods of communication, such as telephone and Skype, being mindful of the victim’s preferences, rescheduling home visits when it is safe to do so.

We feel this approach balances the need to keep victims informed, while keeping them and probation staff safe. In exceptional circumstances, where the NPS feels there is a vital reason for a home visit, it will only take place after a risk assessment that considers the health of victims and the VLO, and the risks of COVID-19 transmission.

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