Cornwall People First

Cornwall People First is a user-led self-advocacy charity for adults with learning disabilities in Cornwall. Cornwall People First (CPF) aims are to relieve the needs of people with learning disabilities who live or work in Cornwall and surrounding areas by assisting them to develop their full potential and obtain their rights and privileges by the provision of self-advocacy, advice, information, education and training.

We support people by making sure they know their rights and what they are entitled to in all areas of their lives. We do this by promoting self-advocacy and encouraging people to speak up for themselves to make sure their voices are heard. We believe people should have choice and control, so they can get the most out of their lives.

If you are an adult with a learning disability and have been a victim of crime, Our Victim Support Workers can help and support you to find ways to cope and recover. They can meet you face to face in a place that suits you. We can work with you alone, or we can work with your family and carers. We will work completely around your needs and requirements to give you a person centred service.

To help you cope and recover we can refer you to and help you to access other support and advice if you need it

• We will listen to you
• We will believe you
• We will give you time
• We won’t judge you
• We will help you to help yourself

Services

Find out more about the services we offer by clicking the headings below

1. You have a learning disability and someone has physcially attacked you
   
   Assault and Battery is when someone threatens to hurt you or physically hurts you. Depending on the crime it may be called different things like: ABH or GBH or Common Assault. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
2. Mate Crime
   
   Mate Crime means when you have a learning disability and someone who you think is your friend takes advantage of you. Sometimes you may not be sure if this has happened to you, but our Victim Support Workers can talk through it with you.
3. You have a learning disability and someone has lied to you to steal from you
   
   Fraud is when people try to steal things from you by telling you lies or tricking you so they can take something that belongs to you. Some people may call it a scam, con or a swindle. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
4. Hate Crime against people with learning disabilities
   
   Hate Crime means any crime where you feel you have been targeted because of who you are. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
5. You have a learning disabiity and someone has broken into your home, or car to steal from you
   
   Burglary means when someone breaks into your home to hurt you, steal from you or break or damage something. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
6. You have a learning disability and someone has damaged or broken something of yours on purpose
   
   Criminal damage means when someone causes damage or breaks something of yours on purpose. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
7. You have a learning disability and people that you live with are abusing you
   
   Domestic Violence and Abuse means when your partner, family member or someone who lives in the same house as you hurts you, stops you from doing things, calls you names or tries to control you. This could be by hurting you physically, emotionally, psychologically, sexually, financially or honour based. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
8. You have a learning disability and you have had something stolen from you
   
   Robbery is when someone steals something from you and hurts you or threatens to hurt you. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
9. You have a learning disability and someone has stolen your car, or something in your car
   
   Theft of and from a vehicle means when someone steals your car, or something in your car. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
10. You have a learning disability and someone has been violent to you in a sexual way
    
    Sexual Violence means when someone touches you in a sexual way when you dont want them to or forces you to do something sexual. Sometimes it can be called rape, sexual assault or sexual harassment. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.
11. You have a learning disability and someone won't leave you alone when you want them to
    
    Harassment and Stalking means when someone wont leave you alone. They may follow you, telephone you lots, turn up at your house or try to contact you using the internet even after you have told them to stop. Our victim support workers can help you to find ways to cope with what has happened to you and move on.