Supporting victims through diversity of services

Provide victims the possibility to access services through a range of means

• Provide victims the possibility to request services at least electronically, by telephone and face-to-face.

In today’s society, we are able to maximise the accessibility of our services through traditional means as well as through new technologies. Equally, with a diverse client group, it is important to facilitate requests for help by providing different contact options. As a minimum, it should be possible for victims to request a meeting or support via telephone, face to face (where the possibility exists for members of the public to come to the office) or electronically through email or a chatline. Linked to the previous standard, it should be ensured that the contact methods used are regularly monitored to ensure victims are not missed or do not have to wait too long for a reply.

• Offer services through a range of means such as office based support, helplines, mobile service, online services.

Not only is it essential that victims are able to request support through a range of ways, it is also important to provide support through a variety of approaches. This takes into account the different ways that victims wish to receive support and therefore increases the number of victims who access services.

Each organisation will need to decide which ways of offering support they want to focus on. However, a combination of a face to face service and a remote service can help to spread the organisation’s coverage whilst enabling many victims to receive quick, simple information without having to come to an office.

• Train personnel to offer those services.

To support the delivery of those services and help ensure their quality, staff should be trained in the different approaches to use e.g. where they may be differences for telephone support compared to face to face.

• Provide victims with information about the different services offered by the Victim Support organisation.

Support organisations should know what services exist in their local area in particular those which are most commonly needed by victims. They should ensure they have sufficient information to be able to advise victims on what services exist, what types of help they offer and how to access the services. Ideally, this advise will be supported through collaborative efforts with the different service providers.

Offer a diverse range of services

A fundamental aspect of the work of victim support providers is the ability to offer a range of services and therefore to meet the specific needs of victims. This follows a one-stop approach which helps minimize the number of people or organisations victims have to meet to receive the help they need. Based on the known priorities of victims organisation should:

• Offer at least the following services:

• Information (on rights, services, impact of crime, etc.)
• Advice and support to access compensation (this may entail guidance on what compensation is; how to fill out the forms, gather evidence or to support contacts with the authorities)
• Referral (where other organisations are better placed to support the victim, the organisation should have referral arrangements in places)
• Emotional support
• Psychological support or referral to psychological support (this is essential for some victims. However, this service may be provided by others rather than through in-house psychologists)
• Advice relating to financial and practical issues (this differs from purely factual information and moves into the field of guiding victim, helping the find solutions and empowering them)
• Advice relating to risk and ways to prevent crime/ future crime (whilst sometimes overlooked, knowledge on prevention is an important aspect of support especially for certain forms of crimes such as domestic violence, gang related violence, cybercrime, fraud etc. Organisations should help victims to avoid re-victimisation).
  
  

• Victim Support organisation provide tools to staff and volunteers to offer those services.

When delivering these services, staff should not only receive appropriate training, but organisations should also develop tools which will facilitate staff work. This might include factsheets, scripts, contact number and details of organisations, protocols for referrals, operating proceedings for different types of service. This will help ensure consistent standards across your organisation, accuracy of information and that protocols are adhered to.

Evidence to prove the standard has been put into practice:

• Service procedure
• Policy
• Website
• Leaflet
• Training

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