What services can you access from Victim Support?

Victim Support is an independent charity and they are dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales they pride themselves on putting them at the heart of their organisation.

Victim Support provide specialist services to help people manage after crime and to empower them to ensure their voices are heard individually and collectively at a local and national level.

Many people can suffer physical symptoms following a traumatic experience.
They might:

• Burst into tears suddenly or unexpectedly
• Feel tired, tense and restless
• Have trouble sleeping
• Experience flashbacks
• Suffer aches, palpitations
• Poor digestion or loss of appetite
• Trip over words and jumble up sentences.

It is normal to feel some or all of these things. It is common to have good days and bad days. You are not going mad or reacting abnormally – you are experiencing trauma. You can talk with your caseworker about how you feel. Your caseworker is there to listen when you need to talk and to help you to understand how you feel. If it would help, they can refer you for support at an appropriate time. Physical and emotional symptoms should fade with time. If they persist, you should talk to your GP.

The Family Welfare Service

Their caseworkers are specially trained to support you and your family when, and if, you feel that you need to speak to someone. This means they will listen, guide and support you to understand your thoughts, behaviours and reactions to the news of what has happened to your loved one.

 What you can expect from them

 They are offering you and your family a dedicated person with expertise in supporting people after a traumatic event. They will treat all of you with respect and agree to work with you to understand where you may want support. Together you will agree a plan to ensure that the help you get is right for you.

You can expect that:

• They will provide expert support and advice on practical concerns
• They will protect your privacy
• With your permission, they will undertake practical tasks on your behalf
• They will respond to your phone calls or emails as soon as possible
• Their trained caseworkers are there to listen, without judgement, when you need us
• With your permission, they will liaise with other services to help you access specialist support if you need it
• You can access the Family Welfare Service 24/7 through their dedicated telephone line on 0808 281 1136 even if you choose not to work with the local service now

Your caseworker will work towards making sure that:

• Your rights are respected by all parties involved and that you’ll be treated fairly
• You feel safe and protected from intimidation
• You are confident that you have all the information you need, that you will be updated about this situation and that you can ask for additional information when you need to n You don’t need to keep retelling your story
• You are listened to and understood
• You have access to practical support and help for as long as you need

You have the opportunity to complain if you’re unhappy about how an organisation has treated you. If you want to, you can decide to stop receiving support from Victim Support at any time. If you decide later that you want to access support again, get in touch and they will be ready to help.

How you may be feeling

You and your family have just been told some unexpected news and will be feeling some emotions that you may not have done before.

This could be seen as trauma; Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event. If this is a traumatic event it can show itself in many different ways.

You or your family members might experience:

• Disbelief
• A sense of unreality
• Difficulty concentrating
• Repetitive, intrusive thoughts
• Fear of leaving the house
• Feeling generally unsafe
• Anger
• Forgetfulness
• Irritability
• Difficulty speaking with people
• Difficulty connecting with people around you
• A feeling of loss of control over your life and plans
• Difficulty in imagining the future
• Strained relationships
• Guilt n Anxiety
• Low mood n Helplessness

Where to go for support.

You can access support 24/7 through the dedicated telephone line on 0808 281 1136 even if you choose not to work with the local service now.

Or, click here for more information.