A team of 15 will deliver the service at the hub, which has been created after a Victim Needs Assessment carried out by the OPCC revealed gaps in provision.

A new hub designed to better support victims of crime has been officially launched by Merseyside's PCC after opening in the region last month.

This new facility, which PCC Emily Spurrell has coined "a single point of contact, a one-stop shop" for victims, was unveiled today (November 17).

Intended to be an integral part of the PCC's wider Victim Care Merseyside service, the hub was authorised earlier this year after gaps in provision were revealed by a Victim Needs Assessment (VNA) carried out in 2020/21.

Run by a team of 15 specialist victim care advisers and managers, this hub will link in closely with the 10 other independent services already commissioned to provide specialist victim support services in the region.

PCC Spurrell said: "The Victim Care Merseyside service already does a vital job supporting thousands of vulnerable people, but by launching this new hub our aim is to ensure many more victims receive support and that it is far easier for people to reach out when they are in need.

“The hub has been designed to act as a single point of contact, a one-stop shop, where all victims and survivors are guaranteed access to free, confidential, non-judgemental support, tailored to their individual needs, whether they have reported to the police or not."

Since opening on October 3, more than 6,570 victims have received information about the support now on offer. Of those, more than 1,100 have now had a VNA, leading to 788 victims having a care plan put in place.

Merseyside Police's Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy, believes the new hub "enhances" all of the work done by the force to support victims.

She added: "Nationally, the hub model has proven to be the most effective way to reach and support victims of crime through a seamless pathway of care.

"It offers opportunities to not only support victims and vulnerable people, but to also help identify repeat victimisation and use a preventative approach to solving reoccurring problems. These are two vital parts of the Force Strategy.“

Last May, Durham's PCC Joy Allen similarly brough victims' services 'in house' in a bid to offer single points of contact.