Victims Fund Criteria and Process

Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for commissioning support services for victims of crime in their area. This follows the Government consultation ‘Getting it Right for Victims and Witnesses’ and recognises that whilst all victims must have clear expectations about how they will be treated and the support on offer, local services must have flexibility to meet the different and changing needs.

Each year the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey is provided funding by the Ministry of Justice to commission services for victims of crime, including restorative justice. Services commissioned by the Commissioner form part of a complex and varied network of support that exists for victims across Surrey, funded by other commissioners and through charitable donations.

The Commissioner will work with all organisations, from the community safety and criminal justice sectors, to voluntary and community groups, to ensure the needs of victims are met through improved services, with duplication avoided.

How to apply

Small grants

Organisations seeking funding of £5,000 or less can apply on this website. Small grants are processed using a more streamlined version of the standard application procedure detailed below. This is intended to speed up the process and give organisations a quicker decision.

Small Grant applications can be submitted at any point during the year and the form, once submitted, is sent to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). Once received the application is checked against the criteria below, scored and a recommendation made to the Commissioner. After the Commissioner has made a decision the applicant will be informed.

The process is usually completed within 14 working days following submission of the application.

Standard Applications

Whilst the majority of the Victim Fund is allocated to supporting and maintaining a range of existing pan-Surrey services, the OPCC does occasionally invite applications for funding in excess of £5,000. Such funding rounds will be advertised via our mailing list. You can join the mailing list by subscribing below.

Organisations wishing to apply for funding under this process will be invited to download an application form. This will need to be completed and returned to the OPCC in accordance with the advertised deadlines. Initially these applications will be considered by the Policy and Commissioning Lead for Victim Services to ensure they meet the criteria (see below) and that all relevant information has been provided.

Applications will then be considered by a panel consisting of the OPCC’s Head of Policy and Commissioning and the Head of Public Protection at Surrey Police.

The panel will consider the information supplied by the applicant and how well the project meets the criteria. The recommendations made by the panel will then be submitted to the Commissioner for consideration. The Commissioner will then accept or decline the funding request.

Criteria

Local organisations and public sector partners are invited to apply for grant funding to deliver specialist services designed to help victims cope with the immediate impact of crime and recover, as far possible, from the harm experienced.

In order to comply with the requirement in the Victims’ Directive services funded by the Commissioner must be in the interests of the victim and be:

• Free of charge
• Confidential
• Non-discriminatory (including being available to all regardless of residence status, nationality or citizenship)
• Available whether or not a crime has been reported to the police
• Available before, during and for an appropriate time after any investigation or criminal proceedings

Grant applications should also show:

• Clear timescales
• A baseline position and intended outcomes (with measures)
• What additional resources (people or money) are available from partners to complement any awarded resources by the Police and Crime Commissioner
• If this is a one off project or not. If the bid looks for pump priming the bid should show how funding will be sustained beyond the initial funding period
• Be consistent with the best practice principles of the Surrey Compact (where working with Voluntary, Community and Faith groups)
• Clear performance management processes

Organisations applying for grant funding may be asked to provide:

• Copies of any relevant data protection policies
• Copies of any relevant safeguarding policies
• A copy of the organisation’s most recent financial accounts or annual report.

Monitoring and evaluation

When an application is successful, the OPCC will draw up a Funding Agreement setting out the agreed level of funding and delivery expectations, including specific outcomes and timeframes.

The Funding Agreement will also specify performance reporting requirements. Funding will only be released once both sides have signed the document.

Application deadlines

Submission deadlines for standard application rounds will be advertised on our Funding Portal.

Funding news