THERE will be additional support on offer for Forth Valley victims and witnesses of crime who have a learning disability or autism, thanks to funding.
Central Advocacy Partners (CAP) is to receive £5,000 from the Scottish Government's Victim Surcharge Fund as part of efforts to support victims and survivors of crime in Scotland.
The money will allow the organisation to offer "much needed" support to people in the wider area, offering a lifeline to people with a learning disability when they are trying to cope.
Pauline Smith, advocacy worker, told the Advertiser: "We are thrilled to be one out of only seven organisations in Scotland that have been chosen to receive the additional funding from the surcharge fund.
"This will allow us to offer much needed practical support to victims with a learning disability or autism in addition to the one-to-one advocacy support that we provide.
"The practical support we will be able to offer advocacy partners will be a lifeline for some who are not only trying to cope with the impacts of crime but other additional financial pressures.
"CAP also currently has a general advocacy project, transitions project that works with young people with autism and a survivors project that works with women who have experienced domestic abuse.
"All our projects can provide one-to-one independent advocacy to anyone within the Forth Valley who has a learning disability or autism."
The boost comes from a £500,000 fund which is also supporting organisations such as Victim Support Scotland and Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland.
It is the third tranche of payments from the Victim Surcharge Fund – which comes from the additional penalties imposed on offenders who receive a court fine – since its introduction in 2019.
Clacks MSP Keith Brown, justice secretary, said: "It is absolutely right that criminals should pay towards helping victims of crime as they recover from their experience.
"Over the past five years we have invested £93million through our justice budget to put victims' rights and needs at the centre of the criminal justice system, demonstrating our commitment to putting victims first."
People looking to make a referral to one of CAP's projects can call 01324 633321 or email info@cap.scot.
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