A new role has been created to provide emotional support to families of victims seriously injured or killed in road accidents.
Is this something that's desperately needed, then?
As part of a collaboration with road safety charity Brake, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne has funded the new Independent Road Victim Advocate (IRVA) position. The IRVA, who will be employed by Brake, will be specifically trained to assist families during their most challenging times.They will be able to help with day-to-day tasks that can become overwhelming for people who have lost a loved one such as managing their finances and helping them to understand procedures such as court cases.
'Managing their finances'..? Seems to be going a bit further than the uaual police victim support services!
Will it replace them?
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Through ongoing conversations with the road safety charity Brake and hearing about the work of its National Road Victim Service, I noticed a gap in our support provision regarding family members of those killed or seriously injured on the roads.
"I wanted to provide families who are going through unimaginable distress, with a specialist and tailored support network that will complement the investigative and operational work of our family liaison officers.
So...that's a 'no' then. It's in addition to them. Isn't this duplication of effort?
“The IRVA caseworker is the first of its kind in Sussex and I am delighted to be working with leading charity Brake as we support those who need it most.
“Most collisions on our roads are preventable and every fatality is one too many. Alongside the additional support that will be provided to families through the role of the IRVA, I also intend to set up a dedicated ‘Fatal Five Unit’ to move forward the Vision Zero approach to road safety and cut fatal and serious collisions by half by 2035."
Funding for the role was obtained from the Ministry of Justice, with nearly £60,000 put in place to secure an IRVA position for the county.
The Ministry of Justice doesn't have any money. This is coming from the taxpayer. Is it a good use of scarce resources?
It seems it's just another petty bureaucrat spending like a drunken sailor to enhance her own profile. Isn't it about time to scrap PCCs?
