A SERVICE dedicated to guiding and supporting victims and witnesses of crime and anti-social behaviour is now offering extra support in Powys.

New divisional support workers for Goleudy are based at police stations in Powys.

It’s anticipated their introduction will encourage stronger links with communities, police officers and partner agencies, with the goal of ensuring victims and witnesses that use Goleudy are happy with the service they receive.

They will provide divisional support to the central team, which is co-located at Dyfed-Powys Police Headquarters in Carmarthen.

Goleudy which is welsh for lighthouse started in April 2017 and is commissioned by Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn.

It's purpose is to provide free and confidential support to anyone affected by crime and anti-social behaviour, regardless of whether they’ve reported it to the police.

The service offers emotional, practical and personal support to all victims and witnesses of crime, from serious and complex crimes, to victims of fraud, supporting victims of terrorism (such as the recent Manchester bombings) and cybercrime.

Victims are supported by a range of services including face to face, over the phone or home visits and can put together bespoke support plans to ensure a victim or witness gets the support that is most appropriate to their individual needs.

Referrals of victims and witnesses to Goleudy are done by police officers and partner agencies, however there is the option for a victim or witness of crime to refer themselves to the service, even if they have not reported the crime or anti-social behaviour to police.

Nichola Rance, Goleudy Service Manager, said: “Goleudy will be offering an enhanced service to victims of crime and anti-social behaviour with the introduction of divisional support officers.

“They will work closely with police officers to ensure that victims feel listened to, are updated and most importantly supported.

“In March 2018, Goleudy was honoured to be acknowledged as best practice for supporting victims by HMICFRS in their national report on police effectiveness, however we acknowledge that there is much work still to be done to ensure that the victim is truly placed at the heart of the criminal justice process.”

Ceri Williams, Victim and Witness Support Officer for Powys, said: “My role is important to me as I feel victim’s voices need to be heard and I see the role as a bridge between victims and the criminal justice system. I feel I am giving a non-judgemental service to individuals that are tailored to meet their needs. The service we provide is a wraparound service from time of incident to beyond court.”

For more information about Goleudy visit www.goleudyvictimandwitnessservice.org.uk or phone 0300 123 2996. Phone lines are open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm.