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About Voice

Voice supports victims, witnesses and anyone else affected by a crime, offence or road collision.

If you or someone you know has been affected by a crime, offence or road collision, Voice will give you, or help you to find, the advice and support you need.

The service is free, impartial and available to everyone, whether a crime has been reported to the police or not.

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How will Voice contact me?

There are 3 main ways in which Voice will be in contact with you:

1.The Police – when you report a crime to the Police, they will automatically pass your details to Voice, who will then make contact directly with you. When you report your crime, the Force will give you the option to opt-out of having your details passed to Voice, if for any reason you do not want support.

2.Self-referral – You can contact Voice directly as a victim or witness of crime for support, regardless of whether the crime has been reported to the police. You can contact us here.

3.Referral from other agency – With your permission, an agency such as your GP or a charity may pass your details to Voice to contact you, if you have been the victim or witness of a crime. Voice will then make contact with you to discuss any support you may need.

How does VOICE care for me?

Voice can provide you with a range of support services that meet your needs. Their specially trained support workers will work with you to understand the specific support you require. Their support is avaiablable to anyone and is led by what you need, for as long as you need. Whether you just need someone to talk to or would like to meet with one of our team, they are there to help you find your Voice.

The Voice service to victims and witnesses includes:

A primary point of contact for each victim and witness
A needs assessment for all victims and witnesses who contact the service for support
Dedicated support workers to guide and support individuals through the criminal justice process and to co-ordinate support and services
Continuous review of victim and witness needs
Communication with victims and witnesses to inform them of the case outcome or trial result, thanking them for their contribution to the case and offering post case support from the relevant support agency

What will VOICE do?

Voice will provide practical and emotional support to enable you to cope and recover from victimisation regardless of if you have reported the offence to Police or a criminal procedure is taking place.

However if you do report the offence, in accordance with the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, Voice also aims to:

Tell you if you will be required to give evidence
Tell you the dates of the court hearings
Give you a copy of the ‘Being a Witness’ leaflet or other relevant material, if you are required to give evidence
Tell you about court results and explain any sentence given within one day of receiving the outcome from the court
Your Support Worker from Voice will be your main point of contact as your case goes through the criminal courts.
Your Support Worker will work with the Crown Prosecution Service, Court and the Police Officer/s handling your case to make sure your needs are taken into account and that you are kept updated throughout your case – they can also ensure you have support in place if you need it.
Your Support Worker will also work with any support agencies already working on your behalf, such as Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs).