Victims Taskforce minutes: June 2025

Attendees and apologies

Angela Constance (Co-Chair), Cabinet Secretary for Justice & Home Affairs

Dorothy Bain KC (Co-Chair), Lord Advocate 

Siobhian Brown, Minister for Victims and Community Safety

Catriona Dalrymple, Scottish Government (SG)

Anna Donald, Scottish Government (SG)

Emma Forbes, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)

Marsha Scott, Scottish Women’s Aid (SWA)

Lynn Burns, Victims’ Voices representative

Kate Wallace, Victim Support Scotland (VSS)

Sandy Brindley, Rape Crisis Scotland

Karyn McCluskey, Community Justice Scotland

Kevin Quinn, Action Against Stalking

Malcolm Graham, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS)

Sarah Taylor, Police Scotland

Elaine Tomlinson, Police Scotland

Emma Fulton, Scottish Prison Service (SPS)

Oona Brooks, Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR)

Lynne Henderson, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA)

Tirion Seymor, Victim Support Scotland (VSS)

Muna Ali, Scottish Women’s Aid

Debbie Adams, Victim Support Scotland (VSS)

Sandra Ferguson, NHS Education for Scotland

Apologies

Mary Glasgow, Children First

John Logue, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)

Alistair Hogg, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration

Elisa Bevacqua, COSLA

Steve Johnson, Police Scotland

Vicki Bell, Law Society of Scotland

Secretariat – Scottish Government

Gertie Wallace, Scottish Government (SG)

Rebecca Aitken, Scottish Government (SG)

Kiran Saggu, Scottish Government (SG)

Pamela Stott, Scottish Government (SG)

Rhianna King, Scottish Government (SG)

John Wallace, Scottish Government (SG)

Items and actions

Chairs’ welcome, minutes and matters arising

The Cabinet Secretary welcomed members to the first in-person meeting of the Taskforce since Covid-19 pandemic and noted apologies. She opened the meeting by thanking members for attending and for their continuous input, insights, and collaboration in improving the experiences of victims/survivors within the justice system. 

The Cabinet Secretary welcomed Siobhian Brown, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, to her first meeting as a permanent member of the Taskforce. 

Members were referred to the draft minutes of the meeting held on 21 November 2024. It was noted that all actions were either complete or ongoing. The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

Members agreed to amend the June 2024 minutes, as requested by the Scottish Sentencing Council, to clarify that victim statements are not within their current workplan, however the Council is keen to be kept informed of any future work in that area.

Victim/Survivor Advisory Board (VSAB) to the Victims Taskforce

The Lord Advocate noted the valuable contribution of the Victim Survivor Advisory Board (VSAB). She reflected on the workshop held in March, which she attended with the Cabinet Secretary, that provided an important opportunity to hear directly from victims and survivors from ethnic minority communities about their experiences of crime and their engagement with the justice system. 

She further emphasised the importance of the thematic work currently undertaken by VSAB and invited Tirion Seymour (Victim Support Scotland) and Muna Ali (Scottish Women’s Aid) to provide an update on that work, and Sandy Brindley (Rape Crisis Scotland) to speak to the VSAB Issues Tracker.

Ethnic Minority Experiences of Justice

Muna and Tirion provided an update on the thematic work undertaken by the Advisory Board, including an overview of key themes and recommendations emerging from the workshops. These were outlined in draft format in Paper 3 and, once the work is completed, a finalised report will be submitted to the Victims Taskforce.  

With support from Ciara Maguire (Rape Crisis Scotland), they held three workshops - the first workshop was for BME Violence Against Women and Girls Experiences, the second workshop was for BME General Crime Experiences, and the third workshop was for staff who work with BME people accessing the justice system.

The key barriers to engagement with the justice system and support services identified at the workshops included:

• no recourse to public funds
• lack of knowledge of the justice system
• agencies’ understanding of cultural differences
• unfamiliarity with reporting processes 
• need for clearer communication and access to information.

Honour-based violence was also discussed, with particular emphasis on the influence of family and community pressures.

Based on these themes, the following emerging recommendations were outlined:

• addressing the “no recourse to public funds” barrier by considering ways to remove or mitigate its impact
• increasing awareness among services about the challenges linked to cultural influences
• providing training and learning opportunities for support services and justice agencies to understand the specific needs of victims, particularly from ethnic minority backgrounds
• developing clearer resources to reflect lived experience and ensure services are accessible

Subsequent discussion of the themes and recommendations, by the Taskforce, focussed on the issue of no recourse to public funds and whether there were opportunities for collaborative working to address the gap. There was also an offer from SCJR for collaborative working on some of the emerging themes. 

Future VSAB Work

VSAB will continue a thematic approach to its work, with workshops focussing on LGBTQIA+ communities being held over the coming months. 

Members were encouraged to reach out if any upcoming projects require consultation, as VSAB has a broad network of participants with lived experience of the justice system.  

VSAB Issues Tracker

Sandy Brindley outlined the purpose of the VSAB Issues/Improvement Tracker, emphasising that it is intended to drive accountability for concerns raised by victims and survivors. While acknowledging that the iterative process of updating the tracker may appear bureaucratic, she noted that the VSAB remains open to continued engagement and feedback from justice agencies.

The following issues from the VSAB Issues tracker were discussed: 

Issue no. 1(a) Victim Charter for Sexual offences: Discussion focussed on the recommendation, from Lady Dorrian’s Review, for the charter of rights for sexual offence complainers and how this linked to work ongoing on COPFS’s High Court sexual offences charter, in addition to a potential requirement for the proposed Victims and Witnesses Commissioner to develop a victims charter. 

Issue no. 3(d) Victim Statements: Discussion focussed on how existing powers to pilot new ways of making victim statements could be used to allow victims (or judges) to read victim statements out in court. 

Issue no. 4(c) Court Transcripts: Discussion focussed on how the pilot was progressing and some of the challenges to its delivery. It was noted that accessibility of court transcripts would be improved by ongoing work to enhanced technology utilised in the justice system. 

Issue no. 4(b) Quantitative data about convictions, attrition etc for sexual offence and domestic abuse cases: Discussion focussed on when the final report would be available and whether there would be the option of presenting it to the Taskforce.  

Workstream 1: Victim Centred Approach update

The Cabinet Secretary invited the co-chairs of the Victim Centred Approach workstream, Kate Wallace (Victim Support Scotland) and Emma Forbes (COPFS), to update members on progress. 

Kate and Emma reminded members of the key recommendations from the Victim Centred Approach Project Report and provided an update on how these were being progressed.

Role of Public Sector Reform (PSR) work: It was highlighted that funding secured through PSR had provided for work to progress on developing a Victims’ Hub as a "digital front door" to streamline information, making it easier to navigate and understand for victims and witnesses. It was noted that in-person models would be necessary to complement the digital offer.

Resource challenges: It was highlighted that there were ongoing challenges in securing sufficient resources to support the VCA work. Members noted that resource constraints were a common theme and emphasised the need for a system-level, coherent strategy.

The Cabinet Secretary emphasised that public sector reform was key to enabling changes in practice and noted that revisiting how resources were allocated may create opportunities to take work forward.

Improving referrals to victim support services: Kate emphasised the need to empower victims by ensuring support is offered proactively. She noted the need to improve referral uptake and outlined concerns that victims were not routinely referred to support services. Members welcomed the clear structure of the recommendations arising from the report but cautioned that effective implementation would be critical.

Elaine Tomlinson (Police Scotland) reaffirmed Police Scotland’s support for the work, aligning with its strategy to ensure that victims are fully heard and supported through services that are tailored and trauma informed. 

Single Point of Contact/Victims’ Hub: In addition to the digital resource being developed through the PSR work, it was noted that an in-person SPOC within justice agencies and support services was essential to ensure that effective support was embedded within the justice processes, facilitating a “warm handover” between agencies. 

Victim Passport: Kate noted that the Victim Passport solution would allow individuals to choose what information is shared with relevant organisations and to upload entries or documents. Ensuring appropriate safeguards for sensitive information would be a key consideration in taking the solution forward. Members of VSAB would be involved in the development of the Victim Passport to provide for co-design.

Shared vision: It was noted that co-creating a shared vision and collective buy-in from all partners would be critical to success. 

Lynne Burns highlighted the importance of ensuring that any new processes prioritise the safety of victims and survivors. She stressed the need to take a long-term approach that allows for sustained improvement in outcomes.

Workstream 2 update: Trauma Informed Workforce 

The Lord Advocate invited the co-chair of the workstream, Lynn Burns (Victims’ Representative) to provide an update on this work. 

Lynn Burns noted that the workstream had enabled candid discussion between members, with participants willing to share lessons learned, and some of the challenges faced, in implementing the Trauma Informed Justice Framework. 

There was a recognition that whilst implementation might look different for each organisation, there were areas members could work together and support each other with.

The workstream had completed its first iteration of the monitoring and evaluation process and SG Justice Analytical Services drafted a progress report based on the responses gathered. The report was shared with the Taskforce as Paper 5.

Bekki Aitken (SG) provided a summary of the findings of the first progress report. She noted that members had been asked to monitor progress in two ways: in terms of the activities they had undertaken and their progress towards outcomes. Due to the level of returns, the progress report was not representative of the whole workstream - but was still helpful in identifying emerging themes.

There had been more progress against the short- and medium-term activities and outcomes, and less progress towards the longer-term ones. Generally, respondents provided more evidence and detail of their progress in terms of activities and less when it came to outcomes. This was reflected in the subsequent workstream discussion, in terms of the challenges of reporting against outcomes.

Progress was fairly evenly spread across all six of the aims and respondents had identified some of the barriers to progress, including changes in governance structures and resourcing challenges. In terms of future work, all respondents outlined plans under each of the six aims.

Bekki highlighted that workstream members had reported that even where they did not return the monitoring form, they still found it a helpful tool in terms of implementing the Framework within their respective organisation.

The main discussion points for the Taskforce were around accountability, links between the workstreams and how to ensure organisation-level change.

On the first point, there was discussion of how the progress report data could feed into accountability for trauma informed practices and the role feedback loops would have in this. Lynn noted the commitment across partners to changing overall behaviours within the system and the value of data in supporting this progress. 

On the links between workstreams, Kate Wallace noted the strong links with the work underway in Workstream 1 and the need for practical planning, particularly around the sustainability of training and internal resources required for delivery. She suggested that how the future directions of the workstreams be further explored at the upcoming Chairs’ Workshop.

On ensuring organisational level change, Malcolm Graham (SCTS) highlighted the significant progress achieved in a short period. He noted that whilst training had increased awareness of trauma informed practice at individual-level interactions, it was essential to consider how this work links to broader policy and organisational change across the justice system. 

Sandra Ferguson (NES) suggested that Trauma Informed Leaders Training was a key area to be explored in the next phase of the work, and emphasised the need for a coordinated and system-wide approach. During the discussion, Trauma-Informed Leadership Training was identified as a priority area to be progressed to support implementation of the framework.

Police Scotland offered to share the work being undertaken within its Trauma-Informed Working Group and Strategic Working Group to support cross-agency learning and collaboration.

Workstream 3 update: Communications

The Cabinet Secretary offered apologies from the chair of the workstream, Andy Shanks (COPFS), and referred members to the update he had provided.

It was noted that the workstream had largely agreed its strategic aims; and that those aims aligned with wider justice commitments and had been captured in an iterative workplan, to provide a consistent and coherent narrative as the work of the workstream develops further. 

The workstream recommended that its scope be extended to include communication with children and young people, recognising the specific and specialised communication needs of this group. Linked to this, an invitation has been extended to Children 1st to join the group.

Justice agencies had been utilising training opportunities with communication specialists, The First Word, to embed the People at Heart approach to communication.  

Looking ahead, the workstream would focus on developing a strategy to bring together the outputs into a cross-sector implementation plan. The workstream would work with members to agree on how best to support delivery and measure progress against the strategic aims.

Discussion of Workstream 3 focussed on communication with children and young people. Emma Forbes (COPFS) highlighted that the inclusion of children directly linked to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the commitment towards ensuring that children and young people are appropriately considered within the justice system. She emphasized that good practice in supporting children was closely linked to how adults are treated, underscoring the importance of a holistic approach. Anna Donald (SG)emphasised the importance of enhancing existing good practices and promoting their wider adoption.

Emma Fulton (SPS) noted that Scottish Prisons Service had extensive experience working with children and highlighted that there is no single standard profile for child victims, which presents unique challenges. However, effective practices are established and can be shared more widely to inform and improve approaches across agencies. 

Members agreed to extending the scope of Workstream 3: Improving Communications to include communication with children and young people who are victims of crime.

Discussion on Taskforce Reflection Session 

The Lord Advocate outlined the purpose of the agenda item - to seek members’ views on how best to undertake an effective reflection on the work of the Taskforce to date.

Anna Donald (SG) reflected on progress since the establishment of the Taskforce in 2018, noting that while some of the issues identified at the outset remain, there had been significant work undertaken that has brought opportunities for positive change. She highlighted that the Taskforce has made meaningful progress by focusing on key issues through targeted workstreams. She noted that the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (VWJR) Bill represents a significant and transformative step forward. 

Possible formats and approaches for the reflection session were discussed, including a thematic or "deep dive" approach, particularly given the extent of change underway across the system.

It was agreed that a focused, structured and purpose driven in-person reflection session be held, separate from the main Taskforce meetings and that Secretariat should conduct a short survey to gather views/ideas from members, in order to shape the session. 

Any Other Business

Several items were raised under AOB. 

There was discussion of whether the remit of the Taskforce should extend to improvements for victims and witnesses in both criminal and civil proceedings, particularly in relation to children. It was suggested that this issue be explored further either during the reflection session or at the next meeting of the Taskforce and Marsha Scott (SWA) offered to undertake some work on this issue, if desired.  

Other issues raised were around non-fatal strangulation and adding the characteristic of sex within the context of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, though time constraints did not allow for further discussion of these issues.

Secretariat will be in touch regarding the date of the next meeting. 

The Cabinet Secretary closed the meeting and thanked members for their attendance.

 

Actions Log (from current meeting)

• The final report and recommendations from the VSAB workshops on ethnic minority victims/survivors experiences of the justice system is to be shared with Taskforce members. Action ongoing
• Victims Taskforce members to contact VSAB regarding any upcoming projects requiring consultation. Action ongoing
• SG Secretariat to conduct a short survey to gather views/ideas from members, in order to shape the reflection session. Action ongoing

Actions carried forward from last meeting

• SG Secretariat to schedule a reflection session for discussion on Victim Taskforce’s work so far. Action ongoing
• DS Steven Bertram to liaise with Sandy Brindley and provide a more specific update on the timescales of wider VRI rollout. Action ongoing
• SG secretariat to consider how Taskforce could engage more deeply into this area of work. Action ongoing
• SG Secretariat to re-draft terms of reference for Taskforce workstreams to align work of all workstreams. Action ongoing
• SG Secretariat to consider co-ordination and linking of work between all three workstreams. Action ongoing
• Law Society Scotland (LSS) to provide SG with information/material on the process of complaints against defence. Action ongoing
• SG to liaise with Children 1st on the visibility of child victims. Action ongoing
• Caroline Bruce to liaise with Jodie McVicar / Marsha at SWA on how we best make links between training in gender competence and in training in trauma as resources are developed. Action ongoing

Decision Log 

• Members agreed to extending the scope of Workstream 3: Improving Communications to include communication with children and young people who are victims of crime. 18/06/2025.