The Victim Liaison Officer will:

• contact the (you) victim to offer support and allow (you) the victim to share (your) their views and be involved in the youth justice system
• check if you have any immediate concerns about the offender's behaviour towards you
• explain what happens to the information you give them
• explain what the offender's sentence means and how decisions are made about how long the offender is subject to a sentence or stays in prison
• ask if you would like to be kept informed of key developments during the offender's sentence
• provide information about other services you may find useful in the local area

Restorative justice can give the victim a voice and help them to move forward with their lives.

What does restorative justice involve?

• if appropriate, a meeting will be arranged with the offender so that he or she may apologise in person
• an opportunity to be involved in a panel meeting where the offender meets with the panel to discuss and sign a contract of work to be completed on their order
• mediation between the victim and offender either face to face or through the victim coordinator
• a letter of apology to the victim or an explanation from  the young person
• a Family Group Conference where members of both the offender's and the victim's family attend a meeting to discuss the impact of the crime and support the offender in taking responsibility for their actions
• a statement via email/telephone highlighting the impact of the offence

Restorative justice can help to repair the harm that the young person has caused to the (you) victim. It holds young people to account for what they have done and helps them to take responsibility and make amends.

Please note: Your involvement with this service is entirely voluntary, and you may change your mind about having contact with the victim liaison officer at any point during the offender's sentencing.