Victim Notification Scheme - independent review: SG response - easy read

Our ideas for changing the VNS

We want to make sure that the VNS:

• Meets victims’ needs
• Is done in a way that is kind to victims
• Works well so that victims trust it

The review suggested that a new team be set up to help victims decide if they want to join the VNS. This would be a really big change to how the VNS works. Setting up the new team is a priority for us.

We think some of the review’s ideas could need some changes in the law. This includes its ideas about who can register on the scheme and the information that people get. We are already considering how to make these changes.

Other ideas can be put in place through changes to processes. These ideas include making our guidance and communications better. We think we can join up this work with work on changes to the law.

Some of the review’s suggestions are for organisations that are not part of the Scottish Government. That means they can make their own decisions about them. We will work together with the organisations on those suggestions.

We think we, and other organisations, need some more time to think about some suggestions. This will help make sure we all agree on how they might work.

The review also made a few suggestions that we are already doing.

For example, that we should think about the impact on children as we change the VNS. Whenever we make a change that might affect a child, we already make sure we consider the impact.

So we do not think we need to do anything else about these suggestions.