The Office of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner has been successful in winning a silver award at the Public Sector Transformation Awards for the implementation of a Victims’ Centre based in Sheffield.

The awards ceremony held in London on Tuesday, 6 March, recognised the work of staff on behalf of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner for the Victim’s Centre he has funded to help victims in South Yorkshire and regionally across Yorkshire and the Humber

The Victims’ Centre was awarded silver in the ‘Police Service of the Year’ category.  The iESE Public Service Transformation Awards celebrate the best in local public services.  They accept nominations from public service providers who demonstrate true innovation and have delivered the biggest improvement for the lives of residents and local businesses.

Staff from the Commissioner’s office worked over a three year period with partner agencies including South Yorkshire Police, NHS England, Mountain Healthcare, the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Services, Victim Support, the South Yorkshire Sexual Violence Partnership and Citizens Advice Witness Service to create the South Yorkshire Victim Centre.

The Centre funded by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings supports the most vulnerable victims of crime. These victims are now able to access the full range of the criminal justice system without ever having to attend a police station or a court.

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in the victims’ centre project and the winning of this award.

“My staff worked on this initiative with partners to ensure that a victim can access a number of support services as and when they need them.

“A major element of the victim centre project was the ability to deliver a free, accessible, supportive and clinically appropriate forensic medical examination service for victims of sexual assault.

“The Victims’ Centre offers this, but also includes state of the art interview suites in which vulnerable victims can give police interviews.

“There is also a new support service for victims of crime in the building along with a new court based video link.  This essentially delivers a centre where vulnerable victims could have initial acute medical needs catered for whilst undergoing forensic medical examinations and have police interviews in comfortable discreet surroundings in order to achieve best evidence and give their testimony in court.

“The hard work of everyone involved in the victims’ centre can now be acknowledged by the winning of this award,”