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

Medical, September 2003

This is a ‘first’ in UK publishing: a comprehensive guide to both the victim / survivor living through and beyond an event of violence, and to those who seek to be professional helpers in that process.

Meeting the author in 2001, of this 470 page handbook, when he was well into the project of writing it, he was struggling with the complexity of the NHS and this is a formidable task – often as it is for those that need to access it. Yet, through the clarity of writing he has captured this so well. In attempting to explain the workings of the NHS, I realised the enormity of the task, and, actually, the inadequacy of the response by health, social, police and Victim Support as organisations to what is a significant issue for town and village, city and state.

Empowerment is so often a cliché but this book achieves this goal. Whether it is access; advocacy; emotional trauma; disability or just dealing with the criminal injuries compensation authority, there are well-presented chapters that allow anyone to appreciate and work through the relevant issues. One of the most important sections is ‘If violence has just happened’ as that is so often the stage at which the victim is feeling isolated and traumatised, and is also the stage at which skilled help is needed.

The focus remains steadfastly practical within the reference section and directory on every conceivable aspect of legal, social, financial, psychological and practical assistance.

This handbook, now in its second print is a model of best-practise in the field and is recommended as essential reading for policy-makers, police and social workers, counsellors and psychotherapists, health professionals and indeed anyone who is affected by the intrusion of violence into their life, or that of a friend or relative.

For enquiries or purchasing contact the author’s website at www.officium.org.uk or Foyles Booksellers, London, Politico’s Bookstore London (e) mail@politicos.co.uk or Hammicks Legal Booksellers Limited, London. Both details available from the author’s website www.officium.org.uk