Useful Links

Here you will find links to relevant organisations offering advice, support or resources.  

Advice for victims and witnesses

Childline – http://www.childline.org.uk

Childline helps children and young people 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It offers a confidential phone service to children and young people.

Just for Kids Law – www.justforkidslaw.org

Just for Kids Law aim to be the UK’s leading experts in youth justice law, sharing their knowledge and expertise and driving systemic change through strategic litigation and policy reform. They deliver holistic, client-led support to children and young people through their innovative, community-based legal representation, advocacy and opportunities programme.

Victim Support – www.victimsupport.org.uk

Victim Support is an independent charity whose services are available whether or not a crime has been reported to the police. They are available to help anyone affected by crime, not only victims and witnesses but also friends, family and any other people involved.

Women’s Aid/ Domestic Violence – www.womensaid.org.uk

Women’s Aid supports a network of over 300 dedicated specialist domestic violence services across the UK. It is the key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children.

Advice for defendants

 Mental Health of People in Prison - National Institute for Healthcare and Excellence (NICE)

NICE includes guideline documents on:

National Association for the Care and Resettlement of the Offender – www.nacro.org.uk

Nacro is the crime reduction charity, dedicated to reducing crime and re-offending in communities across England and Wales. They design and deliver programmes that equip people with the skills, advice, attitude and support they need to move their lives on and move away from crime.

Prison Reform Trust – www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk

Prison Reform Trust is an independent UK charity working to create a just, humane and effective penal system. Their aim is to do this by examining the workings of the system, informing prisoners, staff and the wider public; and by influencing Parliament, government and officials towards reform.

Young offenders – Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists – https://www.rcslt.org

RCSLT is calling for the communication needs of young people in the justice pathway to be met in an efficient, adequate and timely way. 

In 2009, the RCSLT hosted a joint conference with the Youth Justice Agency to raise awareness of the communication support needs of young offenders within the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. The report was entitled 'Locked up and locked out: communication is the key'. The findings determined that at least 60% of young people in the justice system have a communication disability and that improving the skills in offenders by providing targeted speech and language therapy significantly reduces the risk of re-offending. You can see the full conference report here

Support for communication and physical difficulties

Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) - https://rnid.org.uk/

Formerly known as Action on Hearing Loss, RNID offers a range of services and provides information and support on all aspects of deafness, hearing loss and tinnitus.

National Autistic Society - https://www.autism.org.uk/

The National Autistic Society offer advice, guidance and support for austic people and their families.

They have produced some practical guides for police officers and professionals who may come into contact with victims, witnesses, suspects or offenders on the autism spectrum. See the guide here

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/pris...

Also of interest is this page - 'Supporting autistic people in prison and probation services'.

Afasic – www.afasic.org.uk

Afasic supports parents and represents children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

Association of Sign Language Interpreters – www.asli.org.uk

ASLI aims is to raise awareness of sign language interpreting within the Deaf and mainstream communities; and to lobby government and regulatory bodies in order to achieve high levels of recognition and provision.

Autism Hampshire – www.autismhampshire.org.uk

Autism Hampshire, in partnership with Hampshire Police, launched the Autism Alert Programme 2008.

British Institute of Learning Disabilities – http://www.bild.org.uk

BILD promotes better quality of life, choices and social inclusion for those who have a learning disability. They spread good practice through training and qualifications, events and conferences, books and journals, as well as information provided to their members.

Communication Matters – https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk

Communication Matters is a UK-wide organisation committed to supporting people of all ages who find communication difficult because they have little or no clear speech. This site provides information on methods of communication, called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), which can be used to supplement the more usual methods of speech and writing.

Council for Disabled Children – www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk

The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) is the umbrella body for the disabled children’s sector in England, with links to other parts of UK. It aims to influence Government policy, works with local agencies to translate policy into practice; and produces guidance on issues affecting the lives of disabled children.

Communication Trust – www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk

The Communication Trust is a coalition of almost 50 not-for-profit organisations supporting the speech, language and communication needs of children and young people in England. Communication Trust also works collaboratively and collectively with Government and civil society to ensure positive outcomes for children and young people.

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities – http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk

Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities provides information about issues affecting the lives of people with learning disabilities, including publications, workshops and conferences. It also funds research and service projects.

I CAN – http://www.ican.org.uk

I CAN is the children’s communication charity. It runs schools and employs experts who help children develop speech, language and communication skills.

IT Hare – http://ithare.com/guide-to-software-accessibility-for-the-disabled/

IT Hare provides a comprehensive online guide to software accessibility resources to assist with a range of disabilities.

KeyRing – www.keyring.org/cjs

KeyRing works with the Criminal Justice System to help offenders with a learning disability. Its vision is for vulnerable people to be at the heart of their community, sharing their skills and talents for everyone’s benefit. KeyRing exists to improve the life chances of its members.

Mencap – https://www.mencap.org.uk

Mencap is the voice of people with a learning disability, working with them to change laws and challenge prejudice; and supporting them to live their lives as they choose. Everything they do is about valuing and supporting people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. 

National Autistic Society – www.autism.org.uk/working-with/criminal-justice

National Autistic Society provides information about autism – which is not always easy to recognise – and strategies for dealing with people who have autism. Criminal justice professionals including police, solicitors, barristers, magistrates, the judiciary and the courts may come into contact with someone who has autism.

National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deaf Blind people – www.NRCPD.org.uk

NRCPD regulates communication professionals who work with deaf and deaf blind people. Their role is to safeguard the well being and interests of people who rely on those professionals.

NSPCC – http://www.nspcc.org.uk

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has over 40 centres which offer a combination of services to children, families and professionals. They also provide therapeutic assistance to help children move on from abuse.

Rehab 4 Alcoholism – www.rehab4alcoholism.com

Rehab 4 Alcoholism is a free and impartial helpline for people troubled with drug and alcohol issues. Rehab 4 Alcoholism aims to save lives by stopping addiction before it becomes too late.

Rehab Recovery – www.rehab-recovery.co.uk

Homelessness and Addiction – An article detailing homelessness and addiction by Oliver Clark at Rehab 4 Addiction

RNIB – http://www.rnib.org.uk

RNIB is a charity which supports people with sight loss. They provide a range of information for blind or partially sighted people and their supporters, including news of fund raising and events.

Sense – www.sense.org.uk

Sense is a national charity supporting and campaigning for children and adults who are deafblind. Deafblindness refers to a combination of sight and hearing impairment which causes difficulties in a range of areas including communication, access to information and mobility.

Scope – www.scope.org.uk

Scope is a charity that exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. They provide information for children and adults who have a physical impairment, learning disability or any other condition; and also for their carers and professional supporters.

Working with vulnerable witnesses or defendants

The Advocate’s Gateway – www.theadvocatesgateway.org/toolkits

The Advocate’s Gateway gives free access to practical, evidence-based guidance on vulnerable witnesses and defendants. Their Toolkits are now widely consulted.

Autism: The National Autistic Society: Advice and Guidance

The National Autistic Society has published practical guides intended to help parents and carers of people with autismadults with autism and for police officers and professionals involved with people with autism.

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists + The Box Training – https://www.rcslt.org/learning/the-box-training/ 

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) is calling for the communication needs of young people in the justice pathway to be met in an efficient, adequate and timely way. Their campaign entitled ‘Locked Up and Locked Out: Communication is the Key' was published in 2009. The report found that at least 60% of young people in the justice system have a communication disability. Improving the skills in offenders by providing targeted speech and language therapy significantly reduces the risk of re-offending.

RCSLT has developed "The Box" training programme, which is a free online learning resource designed for professionals working in the justice sector.  The training is designed to give professionals in the justice system the ability to identify communication issues and the skills to work successfully with individuals who have such issues.

The image of a box over one's head was designed to help people think about what a communication difficulty might look like if it were visible.

iIIRG – https://www.iiirg.org/

The International Investigative Interviewing Research Group is a worldwide network of interviewing professionals, working tirelessly with national and International bodies, committed to improving investigative interviewing and ensuring all improvements are underpinned by a robust evidence base.

Just for Kids Law – www.justforkidslaw.org

Just for Kids Law aim to be the UK’s leading experts in youth justice law, sharing their knowledge and expertise, and driving systemic change through strategic litigation and policy reform. They deliver holistic, client-led support to children and young people through their innovative, community-based legal representation, advocacy and opportunities programme.

Liberty and Human Rights – www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk

Liberty campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights for everyone. The organisation has 80 years of expertise and promotes the values of individual human dignity, equal treatment and fairness, as the foundations of a democratic society.

Mental Health Law in England & Wales – www.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk

Mental Health Law in England & Wales is the internet resource on mental health law in England & Wales. It is primarily for mental health practitioners; and anyone can contribute.

Talking Mats – www.talkingmats.com/talking-mats-used-court

Talking Mats is a social enterprise with the vision of improving the lives of people with communication difficulties by increasing their capacity to communicate effectively about things that matter to them. Their innovative, award-winning communication tool is based on extensive research and was designed by Speech and Language Therapists.

Victims and Witnesses: Crown Prosecution Service – https://www.cps.gov.uk/victims-witnesses

Championing justice and defending the rights of victims is firmly and effectively at the heart of all that CPS does.

Contact: Charles de Lacy, Mental Health Specialist – cdelacy@nhs.net

Charles de Lacy, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Mental Health Liaison Scheme
Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London EC4M 7EH.

Intermediaries for Justice are keen to keep these up to date, so please contact admin@intermediaries-for-justice.org if you know of a relevant organisation whose expertise you would like to share.