Victim Services & Commissioning

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne provides £5.6 million a year to support victims and witnesses of crime. The principal role of the Victims Services team is to manage this funding, through contracts and grants, with a wide range of service providers.

In support of the PCC’s responsibilities, the team proposes to the PCC the range of services to be funded across Sussex, ensuring provision for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, stalking and general crime such as burglary, theft, and fraud.

Once the PCC has agreed the plan for the financial year, the team monitors the contracts and grants, ensuring that services are effectively run, provide value for money, and offer the best level of support to victims and witnesses.

48 different services are currently funded, provided by 32 organisations across Sussex.  Between April 2024 and March 2025, nearly 50,000 victims were referred to these services.

The PCC also makes a funding contribution to the High-Risk Domestic Abuse service in each of the three local authority areas.

The Victim Services team leads the delivery of the High Harm Perpetrator Programme for high-risk domestic abuse and stalking offenders. This multi-agency support model addresses addiction, behaviour and mental health. The programme is currently funded by a Home Office grant.

Other work of the Victim Services team:

  • Providing an active role in Sussex boards and forums related to commissioning, criminal justice and victim services.
  • Planning for the Government’s Spending Review and the impact on victim services.
  • Supporting national strategies for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and stalking, and preparing for updates to the Victim’s Code of Practice.
  • Delivering the High Harm Perpetrator Programme for Perpetrators of domestic abuse and stalking.
  • Commissioning assessments, such as the recent Sussex-wide Sexual Violence Needs Assessment, to map current support service provisions, identify gaps and barriers, and better understand survivors’ support needs.
  • Overseeing the Safe Space Sussex website and the Safe Space Scheme, ensuring they provide accessible locations for people who feel unsafe, threatened, or at risk while out in public, and promoting the scheme more widely.
  • Ensuring that the support services on the Safe Space Sussex website are regularly updated and include support provision for victims and witnesses across Sussex.

You can find out more about how the team works in the 2024-2028 Commissioning Strategy.