The Victim Support (Specified Roles) Regulations 2025
Source: legislation.gov.uk (2025-04-07)

Section 16(1) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (“the Act”) provides that the Secretary of State must issue guidance about specified victim support roles. Section 16(3) of the Act sets out that “victim support roles” are roles performed by individuals which involve the provision of support to victims of criminal conduct (where the support relates to that conduct).

Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 455

CRIMINAL LAW, ENGLAND AND WALES

The Victim Support (Specified Roles) Regulations 2025

Made

2nd April 2025

Laid before Parliament

7th April 2025

Coming into force

Regulations 1 to 5

9th May 2025

Regulation 6

2nd February 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 16(1), (3) and (4) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024(1 (\"#f00001\")).

Citation and extent

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Victim Support (Specified Roles) Regulations 2025.

(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

Commencement

2.—(1) Except as provided for in paragraph (2), these Regulations come into force on 9th May 2025.

(2) Regulation 6 comes into force on 2nd February 2026.

Interpretation

3. In these Regulations, “the Act” means the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.

Independent domestic violence advisers

4.—(1) The role of independent domestic violence adviser is specified for the purposes of section 16 of the Act.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation—

(a)the role of an independent domestic violence adviser is to provide independent support to individuals who are victims of criminal conduct which constitutes domestic abuse, where the support provided relates to that conduct;

(b)“domestic abuse” has the meaning given by Part 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021(2 (\"#f00002\")).

Independent sexual violence advisers

5.—(1) The role of an independent sexual violence adviser is specified for the purposes of section 16 of the Act.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation, the role of an independent sexual violence adviser is to provide independent support to individuals who are victims of criminal conduct of a sexual nature, where the support provided relates to that conduct.

Independent stalking advocates

6.—(1) The role of an independent stalking advocate is specified for the purposes of section 16 of the Act.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation—

(a)the role of an independent stalking advocate is to provide independent support to individuals who are victims of criminal conduct which involves acts associated with stalking;

(b)the reference to acts associated with stalking is to be read in accordance with section 2A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997(3 (\"#f00003\")).

Shabana Mahmood

Secretary of State

Ministry of Justice

2nd April 2025

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 16(1) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (“the Act”) provides that the Secretary of State must issue guidance about specified victim support roles. Section 16(3) of the Act sets out that “victim support roles” are roles performed by individuals which involve the provision of support to victims of criminal conduct (where the support relates to that conduct).

Pursuant to section 16(3) of the Act, “specified” means specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State. Taken together, sections 16(1) and (3) mean that, once a role is specified in regulations by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State will be required to issue guidance about that role. These Regulations specify victim support roles which the Secretary of State will now be required to issue guidance about under section 16(1).

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen. Impact assessments have been published in relation to the Act (including section 16) and copies can be obtained from the Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ, or from this website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/victims-and-prisoners-bill (\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/victims-and-prisoners-bill\").

An Explanatory Memorandum has been published alongside this instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk\").

(1)

2024 c. 21 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2024/21\")

(2)

2021 c. 17 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2021/17\")

(3)

1997 c. 40 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1997/40\"). Section 2A was inserted by section 111(1) of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9) (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2012/9\").