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Victims Commissioner: Advisory Board Terms of Reference (Draft)

1. Purpose (Back to top)

The Advisory Board (“the Board”) is established to provide strategic advice, assurance and support to the Victims Commissioner in the exercise of her statutory role.

The Board will act as a forum for key criminal justice stakeholders to consider system‑wide issues affecting victims of crime in England and Wales and provide advice and support to the Victims Commissioner in her role.

2. Objectives (Back to top)

The Board’s primary objectives are to:

  • Support and advise the Victims’ Commissioner on priorities, risks and opportunities relating to victims’ experiences across the criminal justice system.
  • Provide strategic oversight and assurance on compliance with, and delivery of, the Victims’ Code.
  • Identify systemic issues affecting victims which require cross‑agency action or escalation.
  • Develop recommendations for escalation to the National Criminal Justice Board (NCJB), in particular where issues and risks emerge at a system wide level.
  • Strengthen collaboration and shared ownership of outcomes for victims across criminal justice and the victim sector agencies.
  • Provide insights, feedback and constructive challenge to organisations and stakeholders with the aim of supporting delivery of high quality, accessible and victim centric services.

3. Scope and Remit (Back to top)

The Board is an advisory board. It will focus on:

  • Victims’ Code compliance: monitoring themes and trends in compliance, barriers to delivery, and opportunities for improvement across the system.
  • Strategic advice and guidance: providing advice to the Victims’ Commissioner on emerging issues and risks, policy developments, inspection findings, performance concerns and best practice relating to victims.
  • Sharing insights and feedback across organisations to support improvements.
  • Escalation and system leadership: agreeing recommendations for issues that require escalation to the NCJB and supporting system‑wide solutions.
  • Victim experience: considering insights from the VCs Victims Support Services Board and Lived Experience Victims and Survivors Board (see separate ToRs) and the wider victim support sector to inform strategic discussions and advice.

Out of Scope:

The Board is advisory only and not decision making.

The Board will not replace existing governance or accountability mechanisms within individual organisations, nor act as an operational decision‑making body.

4. Chair (Back to top)

The Board will be chaired by the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales.

5. Membership (Back to top)

Membership will comprise senior representatives (at CEO / Director level or equivalent) from the following organisations:

  • Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
  • HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
  • Inspectorates: HM I Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS); HMI CPS; HM I Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)
  • National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC)
  • Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC)
  • Independent Sexual Violence advisor (KH)
  • Representative from the Wales Criminal Justice Board.
  • Victim support sector representatives (taken from the Victim Support Services Advisory Board)
  • Criminal Bar Association
  • Judiciary
  • Magistrates Association
  • Probation Service
  • Parole Board
  • MOJ
  • A representative from Academia

The Chair may invite additional attendees or observers on an ad hoc basis where relevant to agenda items.

Members may nominate a suitably senior deputy to attend by exception.

A separate Victims Sector Advisory Board and a Victims and Survivors Lived Experience Advisory Board will also be created. They will feed issues and recommendations into the Victims Advisory Board as well as informing the Victims Commissioner’s wider work.

6. Accountability and Relationships (Back to top)

  • The Board is advisory to the Victims’ Commissioner and is not a decision-making board
  • The Victims Commissioner will draw on the advice, feedback and recommendations from the Board and feed them into relevant bodies, ministerial meetings and Boards, including the National Criminal Justice Board (NCJB).
  • The Victims Commissioner will also draw on the work of the board in delivering against her statutory functions.
  • The Board will align with, but not duplicate, other criminal justice governance structures.

7. Meetings (Back to top)

  • The Board will meet quarterly.
  • Meetings may be held in person or virtually.
  • Extraordinary meetings may be convened at the discretion of the Chair.

8. Quorum (Back to top)

A meeting will be quorate when the Chair (or nominated deputy) and at least a half of the core member organisations are represented.

9. Secretariat (Back to top)

Secretariat support will be provided by the Office of the Victims’ Commissioner, including:

  • Agenda setting in consultation with the Chair
  • Circulation of papers
  • Minute taking and action tracking
  • Coordination of escalation and reporting to the NCJB

10. Transparency: (Back to top)

Meetings will be for Board members and officials only.

The ToR and membership of the Board will be published on the Victim Commissioner’s website.

A summary note and actions from each Board meeting will be published on the Victims Commissioner’s website.

11. Outputs (Back to top)

  • The Board’s outputs may include:
  • Advice notes to the Victims’ Commissioner
  • Agreed recommendations for system‑wide improvement
  • Escalation papers to the NCJB and / or other strategic boards
  • Thematic insights on victims’ experiences and Victims’ Code delivery

12. Information Sharing and Confidentiality (Back to top)

Members are expected to share information in line with their organisational responsibilities and applicable data protection requirements.

13. Review of Terms of Reference (Back to top)

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually, or sooner if required, to ensure they remain fit for purpose.