Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) needed a new digital solution to improve how victims of crime access support across the region. Spanning ten local authorities, Greater Manchester Police and a network of support organisations, the service required a more consistent and secure way to share information while improving the overall user experience. UBDS Digital was engaged to design, develop and deliver a secure digital gateway that enables victims to request support directly, as many times as needed, and access services anytime and anywhere. The portal provides users with greater control over their support journey, along with clearer visibility into their engagement with services, creating a more accessible, transparent and user-centred approach to victim support.

UBDS Digital began with a structured discovery phase to build a clear understanding of the problem across people, process, and technology. Through a series of workshops and stakeholder engagements with local authorities, Greater Manchester Police and support organisations, the team mapped the victim journey, identified key user needs, and defined how information flows across the wider service. This helped establish a shared view of the challenges and the requirements for a more accessible and coordinated approach to victim support.

Based on this, UBDS Digital proposed a two-portal solution. The first was a public-facing portal for victims, designed to allow individuals to request support directly, access information and track their journey in a clear and accessible way. The second was a private portal for local authorities, charities, and police, enabling them to create and manage professional referrals, share information and collaborate more effectively. This approach ensured that the needs of both user groups were met without overcomplicating the experience for victims.

During delivery, several challenges emerged. The reliance on a third-party case management system limited the ability to make rapid changes and necessitated careful handling of integrations. This was addressed by using workflow automation to introduce greater flexibility on the solution side, allowing processes to adapt without depending on changes to the core system.

There were also constraints around user authentication, as a standard identity provider could not be used for a public-facing service with a diverse user base. To address this, local accounts were implemented with multi-factor authentication and appropriate security controls, balancing accessibility with the need to protect sensitive data.

By reusing core components across both portals and designing within the constraints of the existing ecosystem, the solution remained consistent, scalable, and cost-effective, while still meeting the needs of a complex, multi-agency environment.