Officium - domestic violence, support for abuse victims, criminal justice, support for victims of violent crimes, crime victim rights, crime victim advocacy, criminal injury compensation, personal injury, victim support

domestic violence, support for abuse victims, criminal justice, support for victims of violent crimes, crime victim rights, crime victim advocacy, criminal injury compensation, personal injury, victim supportMy handbook aims to direct people affected by violent crime to all that is best and known from my research and experience. It encourages people to strive to be assertive and not trapped and typecast living as permanent ‘victims’. domestic violence, support for abuse victims, criminal justice, support for victims of violent crimes, crime victim rights, crime victim advocacy, criminal injury compensation, personal injury, victim support It covers matters like trauma, death, disability, the media, the police, going to court and services. It explains how to confidently seek help and if necessary how to pursue a formal complaint. This handbook will be periodically revised to remain up to date with policy, legal and community changes and to include or exclude agencies. It explains the complex, expensive, often degrading and drawn-out CICA compensation process combining easy references and directory listings for selecting the best experts of trauma specialists and solicitors across England, Scotland and Wales. It has three main areas 1) the personal survivor needs, 2) the complex legal CICA process and compensation issues and 3) social / government policy, why, as a wealthy nation we treat victims as we do, and suggest community and national empowerment proposals for the future like setting-up small and regional groups. This handbook aims to break and confront the anguished silent isolation a survivor of violent crime is often placed in by institutions, and an ambivalent society. An inclusive guide has never been achieved before. Others have written with a minimal cluster of précised points and telephone numbers, or a detached often academic perspective, or kept the obvious and common sense parts of a person’s life fragmented - never treating a person as a whole. Instead, referring to people’s needs like shattered glass keeping inter-connected parts of a person’s life isolated. This handbook weaves current political, policy and social issues affecting us all as citizens - especially people affected by violent crime. It is about the important obvious common sense matters people need to know that makes this handbook inclusive. This is a small contribution to the huge struggle for justice domestic violence, support for abuse victims, criminal justice, support for victims of violent crimes, crime victim rights, crime victim advocacy, criminal injury compensation, personal injury, victim supportdomestic violence, support for abuse victims, criminal justice, support for victims of violent crimes, crime victim rights, crime victim advocacy, criminal injury compensation, personal injury, victim support



choosing a competent solicitor in criminal injury work If, sadly your criminal injuries are such that you must apply for state compensation prepare yourself for an infamous experience! It is very important that you make the right decision once you have decided to apply for assessment for criminal injury compensation. In finding the best legal service available, you should consider which firms possess a high level of expertise and not just those that are local to you - because much of the work will be done by correspondence anyway. You must choose what is most important to you: expertise that is a hundred miles from your home but will enable you to achieve your long-term goal of securing the justice you deserve, or the convenience of a local firm irrespective of their competence.



The relationship you have with your chosen solicitor will be one of the most important relationships you will have in your life subsequent to the tragedy. It will define the practical, emotional and legal consequences of your case and will impact upon both the financial outcome, by which you can progress in life with dignity and independence, and the gradual steps needed to achieve a sense of putting the tragedy behind you and confidently moving forward - the best way that you can. Finding a solicitor who is competent in criminal compensation or medical negligence is not easy, but take heart - there are many fine men and women practising law if you know where to look and if you ask around! To make your search easier, my handbook lists some of Britain's most dynamic solicitors - they have considerable experience in criminal injuries and negligence work. .



Undertaking criminal injury cases is not particularly attractive for solicitors as it involves a considerable amount of work dealing with an aloof and difficult agency (CICA) for little profit - especially since the introduction of the 1995 Criminal Injuries Compensation Act and it's tariff-based injury scoring system - a controversial Act. the criminal injuries compensation authority - cica The CICA's work involves deciding whether applications for criminal compensation are eligible within their rules as laid-out in law and, if the application is successful, how much will be paid and how it will be paid. From what little data the CICA has volunteered, over 60% of people applying for assessment for criminal compensation are obliged to secure a solicitor simply to deal with the CICA. Many solicitors and crime victims find dealing with the CICA and their process intolerable. There is no provision for getting the free expert legal service automatically offered to a violent criminal - applicants pay for legal representation from their compensation award, or from some other private means, or trade union.

The CICA, London

The CICA have enormous power over traumatised crime victims and for serious injuries the process can take many years and cost thousands of pounds. They are a very insular service. Many believe the CICA scheme lacks satisfactory regulation and parliamentary scrutiny. It is perceived by those dealing CICA as a slow and dysfunctional administrative service that fails to function with the effectiveness or accountability of an average social security office. Regrettably, the government now actively supports the controversial, and rushed, cost-cutting 1995 Criminal Injuries Compensation Act and appears to have changed its position since being in opposition. By its existing remit it detracts from dignity for crime victims. The CICAP, London My handbook outlines existing conditions for applying for compensation, the legislation, assessment, reviews and appeals processes and how to reduce the delays by correlating the necessary documentation, reviews and appeals. It includes suggestions for reducing emotional anxiety and the stress that comes from dealing with the legal process and advice on how to present documentation in a way that may reduce the time taken by the CICA to make an award. " We know that democracy does not mean the coercion of all into a deadly - and, finally, wicked - mediocrity but the liberty for all to aspire to the best that is in him, or that has ever been. " Extract: James Baldwin in Anglea Davis' 'If They Come For Me In The Morning' the home office and the justice and victims unit The Justice and Victims Unit, (formerly known as the Victims and Procedures Unit) has responsibility for monitoring the work of the CICA. This specific unit within the Home Office has historically failed to evidence a sufficiently detached perspective and capacity to promote change from the CICA or to encourage the Home Affairs Select Committee to review areas of performance. changes for the better... Nothing less than three issues can be accepted as basic, essential substantial institutional changes for the crime victim in the UK. Firstly, is the repeal of pernicious criminal injuries compensation tariff-based scheme that degrades and diminishes the crime victim and return to the common law compensation values. Secondly, immediate access to a selected list of expert free solicitors to represent crime victims. Thirdly, for those significantly affected by violent crime access to free life-long access to public transport, social and health care. Meantime, over the last two years, the Home Office has forged a path towards changes that sound most hopeful for improving the dignity and recognition of the needs of the crime victim and innocent witnesses. We must wait to see the real value of what government changes, or what remains re-wording the status quo. Bold policies are being proposed but the historical mono-service path will require a significant dismantling and national change. If not it will reduce the potency of government policy attempts for change. Partnership and diversity are pre-requisites for dynamic change for maximum rehabilitation and service delivery.

The Home Office, London