NEW services could be in place within months to improve assistance to victims of crime in North Yorkshire.

A report before the Corporate Performance Delivery and Scrutiny Board this week looked at how the force and its partner agencies currently deal with victims of crime, and considered ways it could be improved, with changes already underway.

Among the changes to be introduced are a new North Yorkshire Police website which, from November, will be more victim-focused, and all officers will soon be given a 'victim information toolkit', to assist them when dealing with victims of crime and making the experience as simple and effective as possible.

Next month, a nationwide scheme called Track My Crime will be presented to North Yorkshire Police to consider, which gives victims of crime access to information held on their crimes. Using a reference number as they would a package out for delivery, victims can keep track of the investigation from home, without directly contacting police.

The meeting, held earlier this week, heard three partner agencies - Supporting Victims, the Witness Care Unit and Remedi, which is responsible for restorative justice - have already been moved into the force's Athena House in Clifton, to improve working relations, and work is also underway to bring in a member of the Citizen's Advice Bureau and the IDAS team.

Jenni Newberry, presenting the report, said the move meant all agencies could ensure they shared information more easily, and were not assessing individuals separately, meaning a better experience for the victim.

The meeting also heard that take up for restorative justice, where the victim engages with the offender either in a personal meeting or a letter, has been low, with 49 out of 78 referrals to the service actually engaging in the process.

Ms Newberry said there had been a lower than expected uptake in the process of restorative justice, but no more so in North Yorkshire than in other areas.

She said: "We have been talking with regional colleagues in Yorkshire and Humberside and we are not dissimilar to others."

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick told the meeting more could be done to explain the process to the public, and encourage victims of crime to take part.

He said: "Cope and recover are very easy words to say but really only if you have been subjected to a crime and been through that whole process, you can actually demonstrate the difference that makes."