Written Ministerial Statement

The content of this written ministerial statement is as received at the time from the Minister. It has not been subject to the official reporting (Hansard) process.

The Executive Office - Victims and Survivors Strategy 2024-2034

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Published at 1.30pm on Wednesday 2 October 2024

Ms O’Neill and Mrs Little-Pengelly (The First Minister and deputy First Minister): Meeting the needs of victims and survivors continues to be a priority for us, so we are pleased to present the Strategy for Victims and Survivors for 2024-2034 to the Assembly. The Strategy has been endorsed by the Executive Committee.

The Strategy’s Vision is “A trauma informed society that addresses the needs of victims and survivors”. It sets out the outcomes we aim to achieve for victims and survivors over the next 10 years, and the specific issues which require particular focus. It will ensure the right trauma informed and victim centred services are in place to empower and support victims and survivors and contribute to building a shared and peaceful future.

The Strategy contains a number of commitments and reflects the many factors that impact the needs of victims and survivors. This Strategy sets out our approach to meeting those needs and how we plan to adapt to further changes over the next ten years.

The Strategy also commits to improved collaboration across central and local government, statutory agencies and the voluntary and community sector to ensure victims’ and survivors’ holistic needs are met, which is why we have sought Executive endorsement.

We and the other Ministers in the Executive look forward to working with the Assembly and its Committees to progress the delivery of this Strategy and implementation of our commitments within three interlinking pillars: Needs, Past, and The Future.

These pillars, or themes, remain unchanged from the previous Strategy. Meeting the needs of victims and survivors, dealing with the past, and building for the future remain the key issues for victims and survivors today. The pillars are interlinked and cannot be dealt with in isolation. We understand that everyone has their own individual needs, their journeys can be very different and, for some, the past can still be very much in the present.

Within the Needs pillar, we are committed to continuing to support victims and survivors. We will do this by ensuring access to support and services through the maintenance of the network of health and wellbeing case managers and case workers, delivery of the Regional Trauma Network with colleagues in the health and social care sector, and improving access to and awareness of services.

Within the Past Pillar, our commitments to supporting victims and survivors include continued advocacy support, further work in relation to acknowledgement as well as continued delivery of the Victims’ Payments Scheme, for which the administrative functions are exercised by the Department of Justice.

Finally, within the Future Pillar, we have made a number of commitments including continuing to include those with a lived experience in discussions and decisions that affect them, improved partnership and collaborative working across departments and alignment with other relevant strategies, further research on the impact of trauma as well as supporting the roll out of trauma education.

Engagement with victims and survivors, and representative groups, has been an essential part of the development this new Strategy, and has informed a number of outcomes and actions which reflect the many complex, varied and changing needs of victims and survivors. Specific targets and resources requirements will be considered in the next stage of the process, as part of development of action plans and the co-design of new funding programmes which will align with the new Strategy.

Michelle O’Neill MLA, First Minister

Emma Little-Pengelly MLA, deputy First Minister