Victim Notification Scheme (VNS): independent review
Report of the independent review of the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS). The VNS provides eligible victims information about an offender’s release, and the chance to make representations about parole decisions.
Section 10: Standards of Service for Victims and Witnesses: How is the System Performing?
The Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 requires the following organisations to jointly report annually against their service standards:
Police Scotland
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service
Scottish Prison Service
Parole Board for Scotland
| Year end | Total | Life Sentence | 4 years + | Less than 4 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | 2675 | 1065 | 1258 | 311 |
| March 2021 | 2331 | 1032 | 980 | 319 |
| March 2020 | 2615 | 965 | 1278 | 372 |
| March 2019 | 2563 | 919 | 1256 | 388 |
| 03/2022 | 400 |
|---|---|
| 03/2021 | 306 |
| 03/2020 | 472 |
| 03/2019 | 443 |
Each organisation above reports against its published standards of service. Formats and content vary between each organisation. With the exception of SPS and to some extent Police Scotland, there is little data, reporting being in narrative form. Only one of the organisations, Police Scotland, reports detail against user satisfaction, with percentage figures around a 'User Experience Survey for Local Policing' based on a monthly online survey. Whilst we welcome this report, we consider that more could be done to reflect performance in data terms, tracking trends and improvements, forward-looking objectives and measuring user satisfaction. The registration figures alone do not explain the rate of take up. It should be possible to understand from the data what they mean in context. Registration figures, for example are not presented in context.
Contact
Email: VNSReview@gov.scot
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