About Victim Support

Victim Support is the national charity for people affected by crime. It is a completely independent organisation, offering a free and confidential service, irrespective of whether or not a crime has been reported.

How do we work?

Each year Victim Support offers help to over one million people who have been affected by crime.

This help is provided through a network of local Schemes across the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland (there are separate organisations covering Scotland and the Republic of Ireland). Staff and volunteers within these Schemes are trained to provide emotional support, information and practical help to people who have suffered the effects of crime ranging from burglary to the murder of a relative.

Victim Support also runs the Witness Service , based in every criminal court in England and Wales. Staff and volunteers are trained to provide support and information about the court process to witnesses, victims and their families, before, during and after the trial.

People affected by crime can also contact the Victim Supportline - a national lo-call telephone number. Trained staff and volunteers  offer support and information to victims and witnesses of crime in complete anonymity, and can put people in touch with local Victim Support services and other relevant organisations if required.

Victim Support's aims and objectives

Victim Support has two primary objectives:

• to provide support and assistance to individual victims, witnesses, their families and friends;

• to raise public awareness and recognition of the effects of crime and promote victim's rights.

By striving to meet these objectives we aim to provide a comprehensive, flexible service to reduce the effects of crime.

Victim Support's philosophy

The framework within which Victim Support operates is based on the following philosophy:

• Free and confidential services. The services provided to victims of crime are free. Information about an individual, including whether a Scheme or Witness Service knows that person, is held in confidence.

• The victim decides. Victim Support respects the individual's right to make their own decisions. We believe it is our role to make sure that victims and witnesses have access to services if they want them, but not to tell people what they need or what they should do. We understand that people are individuals and will react to crime differently. Victim Support helps people to regain control of their lives following crime.

• Equal opportunities. Victim Support aims to offer a service to all sections of the community and is committed to ensuring that minority and disadvantaged groups are welcomed and involved throughout the organisation.

• Working with other agencies. Victim Support is a completely independent organisation, but as a community-based service it has close working relationships with a wide range of other voluntary and statutory services. Victim Support works in close co-operation with the police, the Home Office, the probation service and others within the fields of criminal justice and social welfare in order to improve policies and practices regarding victims and witnesses of crime.

• No statement on the treatment of offenders. Victim Support does not make public statements on the punishment and sentencing of offenders, except when discussing issues which directly involve the victim, for example compensation or protection.

• Common standards. All Victim Support's services are run according to a nationally maintained Code of practice. This code is continually developed to ensure optimum services and national consistency. The Home Office's standards of service for Victim Support are set out in the Victim's charter. Victim Support welcomes comments and suggestions about the service provided for victims and witnesses of crime. We also operate a formal complaints procedures - details may be obtained from the National Office or from local Victim Support Schemes/Witness Services.

How we are funded

Over a million people are referred to Victim Support for help every year and many others contact us directly, whether or not they have chosen to report a crime.  It is only possible for us to offer help to so many people because over 13,000 trained volunteers give freely of their time and energy to support victims of crime in their local community.  The costs involved in the recruitment, training and day-to-day support we provide to this vast volunteer workforce are considerable.

As an independent charity Victim Support must raise money to carry out its vital work in every community in England and Wales.  Money is raised through events, corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, the National Lottery and sales of Christmas cards and merchandise.  The Home Office also provides support through an annual grant which helps cover some of the running costs of the National Office, local Schemes, Witness Services and the Supportline. 

Although Victim Support is meeting the needs of so many people, there is much more we could do if only the funds were available. Areas of work for which we urgently need funds include: 

• developing our support services for children and young people who become victims of crime.

• raising awareness of our Supportline number and the help that is available, whether or not someone has reported a crime. This service is particularly important for victims of unreported crimes, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, race crime and stalking.

• the provision of practical information to help people who become victims of racial harassment and bullying and reassurance about the feelings they may experience following a crime.

• developing our work with Youth Offending Teams, to ensure that victims’ needs are understood and respected within restorative justice programmes.

• enhancing our training of volunteers to achieve the highest standards, consistently across the country.

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