Since my earliest involvement with the justice sector I have always referred to victims as the "forgotten voice". Rarely heard and seldom listened to.
Victims are frequently told that their voice matters. Yet recent evidence shows that many remain dissatisfied with their experience of the criminal justice system, not necessarily because they expect a particular punishment, but because they feel insufficiently involved, poorly informed and uncertain whether their wishes made any difference.
The Victims' Commissioner's Victims' Survey 2024, based on 6,581 responses, found that:
- only 42% were confident they could receive justice by reporting a crime;
- just 40% agreed that they were kept regularly informed about the police investigation;
- only 27% recalled being referred, or referring themselves, to victims' services; and
- just 17% had heard of the Victims' Code.
The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales reinforces the importance of communication. Overall, victims were satisfied with the police response in only 51% of reported crime incidents. However, satisfaction rose to 77% where victims felt well informed, compared with just 19% where they did not.
The message is clear: outcomes matter, but so does the experience of justice.
This is particularly important when cases are resolved outside court. Police forces can provide a swift, proportionate and effective response to lower-level offending. However, public confidence depends on victims understanding the proposed resolution and having a meaningful opportunity to influence it.
Simply recording that a victim was "consulted" is not enough. Did the victim want an apology? Compensation? Repair of damage? No further contact? An intervention addressing alcohol misuse, anger, substance dependency or another underlying cause of the offending? Were those wishes reflected in the conditions imposed — and, if not, was the reason explained?
These questions sit at the heart of Make Time Count's approach. Our Community Justice Platform enables police to capture victims' wishes in a structured way. Those wishes in turn inform the conditions attached to any police outcome.
The resulting resolution might include restorative activity, compensation, practical reparation, restrictions on contact or attendance at a location, or engagement with a service addressing the underlying causes of offending.
The final decision rightly remains with the officer. A victim cannot, and should not, determine the outcome alone. If their wishes are appropriate and proportionate, Make Time Count helps translate them into meaningful action. Where a request cannot be followed, the reason can be recorded.
Crucially, the platform then addresses what happens next. Make Time Count refers individuals to relevant local services, tracks participation and completion, and provides the information needed to keep victims and professionals updated.
This creates a clear journey from victim wishes, to decision, to intervention, to completion. Victim satisfaction will not be improved by another consultation box. It requires a justice process that listens, responds and follows through.
Make Time Count helps agencies move from telling victims that their voice matters to demonstrating how it shaped the response.
Sources: Victims' Commissioner – Victims' Survey 2024 | Office for National Statistics – Perception and experience of police and the criminal justice system, England and Wales.