“Whoever the victim, and whatever the crime, we will always put them first and give the best possible support, care and advice”

We Can Help

Our Service

Self Referrals
You don’t have to report a crime to the police to get help from Victims First Northumbria. You can complete a referral form or contact us directly.

Police and agency referrals
If you reported a crime to the police, the officer who came to see you will complete a needs assessment and, with your consent, pass your contact details on to us so we can get in touch to see how we can help.

Other agencies can refer victims to our services too – we just need contact details and a referral form, and most importantly, your consent.

What happens
When you speak to a VFN co-ordinator, we will ask you a few questions to establish what has happened and how the crime has affected you and your personal circumstances. We will then help you identify the best support for you to help you cope and recover from your experience.

How we can help

Our trained coordinators are here to listen and work with you to develop a cope and recovery plan. Depending on your personal needs, we offer a range of services.

Specialist Support
With your consent and depending upon your needs we can help you to access other support agencies such as counselling and therapy.

Emotional Support
Our trained co-ordinators are here to listen and will help you understand what has happened. They can provide support via the phone or in a way that best meets your needs.

Practical Support
Crime prevention advice to help you feel empowered, carrying out security checks for peace of mind or standing by your side in court – we can help you in many practical ways.

Volunteer Help
We have a team of volunteers with specialist skills and experience who can also provide advice, information and support.

Restorative Justice
Restorative justice (RJ) enables victims to meet or communicate with their offender to explain the real impact of the crime. It can help victims recover and offenders reform. Restorative Justice is always voluntary, there is no obligation.
See our Restorative Justice leaflet for further information.

Getting Support

If reporting a crime
When you report a crime, you will be asked a few questions to find out if this type of incident has happened before, how the crime has affected you and your personal circumstances.

If no crime is reported
You can still access Victims First even if you haven’t reported a crime. When you call Victims First we will ask you a few questions, the answers to which will help us to identify those who may require more support to help them cope and recover from their experiences.

Referral to Victims First
In this instance, you will be contacted by a Victims First co-ordinator.

No need for support at this time
If this is the case, you will receive an email or letter with information about: the Victims First service; how to contact Victims First if your circumstances change and the information available on this website.

Victim First Co-ordinator
The Victim First co-ordinator will carry out a more detailed assessment to identify further details about how you have been affected by the crime and your personal circumstances, such as your support network and access to services. This information is used to develop a personalised victim care plan (VCP), which identifies how we can help you to cope with the immediate impact of the crime and recover from the harm experienced.

Emotional and practical support provided
Depending on your personal needs, you will be offered a range of services, this will include:

  • Telephone support
  • Specially trained volunteers
  • Face-to-face and telephone referral
  • Access to services provided by other organisations
  • Useful advice and information on Victims First website