Programme overview
Introduction:
Victim and witness support services, covering needs assessment, witness care and special measures, form this 1-week course for prosecution, police, court and NGO victim-support staff, ending with a Victim and Witness Care Service Plan for a case organisation. Justice agencies lose testimony and public trust when victims receive no updates, witnesses arrive at hearings unprepared, and vulnerable people give evidence without the protective arrangements they need. Nominees already contact victims or witnesses and learn through case studies built on anonymised contact logs, witness profiles and referral records. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this victim and witness support services course.
Course Objectives:
- Assess victim needs across safety, health, practical, emotional and information domains and record a tiered support level for each person
- Conduct trauma-informed first contact and ongoing updates that limit secondary victimisation and keep victims informed of case progress
- Prepare witnesses for testimony through court familiarisation, hearing-day support and post-hearing debriefs
- Identify vulnerable and intimidated witnesses and request special measures such as screens, live link, intermediaries and pre-recorded evidence
- Build referral pathways with health, counselling, legal aid and community agencies and guide victims through restitution and compensation claims
- Set service standards, feedback channels and performance indicators for a victim and witness care unit
Target Audience:
- Witness care staff in prosecution services who keep witnesses informed and ready for trial
- Police victim liaison staff who make first contact after a report and pass on case updates
- Court-based witness service staff and volunteers who support people on hearing days
- NGO victim-support caseworkers who provide practical and emotional help after a crime
- Helpline and advocacy staff who advise victims on rights, referrals and compensation claims
Course Outline:
Day 1: Victim Rights, Service Roles and Current Support Baseline
- UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims Overview
- Victim Rights to Information, Participation, Privacy and Redress
- Prosecution, Police, Court and NGO Support Role Map
- Secondary Victimisation Sources Across the Justice Journey
- Unit Victim Contact Baseline Using Recent Case Logs
Day 2: Needs Assessment Models, Trauma-Informed Practice and Child Witness Guidelines
- Five-Domain Victim Needs Assessment Form and Scoring
- Tiered Support Level Allocation Matrix for Caseloads
- Trauma-Informed Practice Principles of Safety, Choice and Trust
- UN Guidelines on Child Victims and Witnesses Applied Practice
- Victim Contact Standards for Timing, Channel and Language
Day 3: Witness Care, Court Familiarisation and Victim Communication
- Witness Care Plan Template From Charge to Verdict
- Pre-Trial Court Familiarisation Visit Checklist and Script
- Hearing Day Support Routine With Separate Waiting Areas
- Case Progress Notification Letters and Outcome Calls
- Victim Personal Statement Preparation and Explanation
Day 4: Special Measures, Intimidation Risk, Referrals and Compensation
- Vulnerable and Intimidated Witness Eligibility Screening Tool
- Special Measures Application for Screens, Live Link and Intermediaries
- Witness Intimidation Risk Review and Protective Response Options
- Referral Network Directory With Agreed Handover Protocols
- Restitution and State Compensation Claim Guidance Checklist
Day 5: Case Study on a Victim and Witness Care Service Plan
- Case Organisation Brief With Contact Logs and Witness Profiles
- Case Needs Assessments and Support Tier Allocation Exercise
- Case Special Measures Requests and Familiarisation Schedule
- Service Standards, Feedback Survey and Indicator Set Design
- Victim and Witness Care Service Plan Completion and Review
Skills You Will Gain:
- Victim Needs Assessment
- Trauma-Informed Communication
- Witness Familiarisation
- Special Measures Requests
- Intimidation Risk Review
- Referral Network Coordination
- Compensation Claim Guidance
- Service Standard Monitoring
Why Attend This Course:
- Deliver a Victim and Witness Care Service Plan for a case organisation to the head of the victim support or witness care unit
- Decide which support tier, special measure or referral each victim or witness needs, using recorded assessment evidence
- Avoid withdrawn testimony, cracked trials and complaints that follow when witnesses are unprepared or victims hear nothing about their case
- Pass on the needs assessment form, familiarisation checklist, notification letters and referral directory to frontline colleagues
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant gives the head of the victim support or witness care unit a Victim and Witness Care Service Plan that sets how needs are assessed, when victims are updated, how witnesses are prepared for court and which agencies receive referrals. Unit leads use it to allocate caseloads, agree special measures routines with prosecutors and courts and sign handover protocols with partner agencies. After the first trial supported under the plan, the unit should review witness attendance, feedback scores, notification timeliness and referral take-up.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before the victim and witness support services course?
Participants should already contact victims or witnesses at work, in a prosecution, police, court or NGO setting. No prior assessment training is needed. Bringing an anonymised contact log, a witness letter or a referral form helps them apply the case study exercises.
How does victim and witness support services training differ from an investigative interviewing or child protection course?
It covers support and care rather than evidence gathering or abuse recognition: needs assessment, updates, court familiarisation, special measures, referrals and compensation. Interviewing courses focus on obtaining accounts, and child protection courses focus on recognising abuse and planning a child's safety.
Why do victim and witness support services use special measures for vulnerable witnesses?
Special measures such as screens, live link, intermediaries and pre-recorded evidence reduce fear and distress so that vulnerable or intimidated witnesses can give their best account. They protect the quality of testimony while respecting the fairness of the hearing.
What do participants take back from the victim and witness support services course?
Participants take back a Victim and Witness Care Service Plan for a case organisation, with a needs assessment form, a support tier matrix, a familiarisation checklist, notification letter templates, a referral directory and a service indicator set.