SG/2026/56: Reform of the Victim Notification Scheme: report for Parliament - March 2026

Conclusion

We have achieved significant reform to the VNS through the 2025 Act, and commencement of these provisions is underway, with initial sections of the VWJR Act coming into force on 19 March 2026.

We are progressing establishing the VCT which will be informed by the work of the business analyst in providing detailed process maps and options to develop an automatic referral function, ensuring that victims can make a supported and trauma-informed choice about joining the scheme and how and when they will receive information about an offender.

We are grateful to stakeholders for their input into this work so far, and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future to progress this transformational programme of change that will deliver a more victim-centred and trauma-informed VNS that truly reflects victims’ needs. We will as we take this work forward, also engage with those with lived experience to collaborate with us in designing the service.

As not all the recommendations from the independent review have been fully implemented, we will provide a further progress report to Parliament.