New Essex Victims’ Gateway Website Launched to Support Victims of Crime
A newly redesigned Essex Victims’ Gateway website has been launched by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, offering a clearer, more accessible way for victims of crime to find the help and support they need.
The Gateway brings together local, commissioned, and national services in one easy‑to‑navigate place, helping victims, their families and professionals quickly identify the right support after a crime. The improved site allows users to search both geographically and by theme, ensuring that people are signposted to services most relevant to their circumstances.
The PFCC has invested in rebuilding the website following feedback from victims, partners and frontline professionals who said the previous site—originally developed in 2014—needed modernising to reflect the wide range of support available today. The former platform was also approaching end‑of‑life, meaning updates and security could no longer be supported.
You can visit the new Essex Victim’s Gateway here: Essex Victims' Gateway
The new website has been designed and built by Formation Media, the PFCC’s existing website partner, ensuring a consistent style with the main PFCC website and enabling cost‑effective hosting and maintenance. The site was built with a PFCC one‑off development grant for hosting and security to maintain high accessibility standards, including the ability to reach AAA accessibility compliance.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst said: “Victims of crime deserve clear, reliable information about the support available to them. The new Essex Victims’ Gateway gives people a simple and accessible route to find the help they need, when they need it most.
“This is an important step in our commitment to ensuring victims can cope, recover and move forward after experiencing crime.”
Lauren Peck, Commissioning Lead at the PFCC and project lead for the new website, said:
“We wanted to create a modern, user‑friendly space that truly reflects the breadth of support available to victims in Essex. This redevelopment has been shaped by conversations with our partners, specialist services and victims themselves.
“Our goal was simple: to make it easier for anyone affected by crime to understand what help exists and to feel confident in taking their next steps towards recovery.”
The Gateway provides signposting and information on services covering areas including:
- Domestic abuse
- Sexual violence and abuse
- Fraud and cybercrime
- Hate crime
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Restorative and mediation services
The site has been shaped through ongoing engagement with victim support providers, Essex Police, partnership boards, and specialist organisations working across the county.
The redevelopment supports delivery of the Police and Crime Plan, the countywide Domestic Abuse and Sexual Abuse Strategies, the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership, and national commitments under the Victims’ Code, VAWG Strategy and the Victims and Prisoners Act.
The PFCC will continue to work with partners to ensure the website remains up to date, reflective of the latest services, and responsive to the needs of victims.