The dedicated service was officially announced this week as Road Safety Week kicked into action. The Commissioner’s office has pledged almost £60,000 to deliver the service for a year, following the completion of a successful pilot.
Brake’s National Road Victim Service provides specialist support for those who have been bereaved or seriously injured in a road crash anywhere in the UK. This new initiative funds a local Brake caseworker dedicated to road victims across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.
It will support people who have been impacted by road crashes to manage the immediate traumatic impact and help them to cope and build resilience to move forward with everyday life.
Ross Moorlock, CEO at Brake, the road safety charity, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner’s office to provide families in Thames Valley with the support they need following a sudden loss or serious injury in a road crash. Being able to access specialist, trauma-informed support in local communities can make such a difference when families need it most.”
Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, added: “The aim of the Thames Valley-wide road victim service is to provide a support service that offers advocacy, emotional and practical support to residents seriously injured as a result of a road traffic incident.
“The service will aim to enable road traffic collision (RTC) victims to be able to support themselves independently or through an appropriate peer support network, with referrals coming into the service from Thames Valley Police Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) or the Major Collision Investigation Team.
“By commissioning a dedicated service, this will further support the work set out in my Road Safety Strategy in an effort to reduce the impact of road traffic collisions on residents across Thames Valley.”
Pictured above: Kameljit Sidhu, local caseworker, Brake (left) and Matthew Barber Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley (right).