Victim and Witness Hub

Victims and witnesses of crime have a right to support under the Victims' Code.

The Victim and Witness Hub is a free confidential service which provides emotional and practical support to victims or witnesses to a crime in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, to help them cope and recover from the impact of crime.

It offers support to victims from the time of the offence, through any subsequent police investigation or court proceedings and beyond, according to the needs of the individual.

What we do

The Victim and Witness Hub supports all victims of crime including those who don’t want to report their crime to the police who self-refer to the Hub by email or the freephone number, regardless of when the crime occurred. The support given will be confidential, as long as there are no risks identified of potential harm to anyone as a result of not sharing information.

The Victim and Witness Hub can offer:

• Practical advice and guidance from Victim and Witness Care Co-ordinators via the telephone
• Access to specially trained Victim and Witness Hub Community Volunteers, both face-to-face and on the telephone
• Support to access existing services provided by partners, voluntary and community organisations including The Bobby Scheme and mental health care providers
• Referral to additional relevant external organisations
• Referral to the Court-based Witness Service who provide free and independent support for victims and witnesses attending court. They can arrange pre-trial visits to the court and their volunteer staff at the court building provide information, support and a quiet place in which to wait during the trial itself.

Who we are

The Victim and Witness Hub is currently based in Peterborough and is made up of:

• A Head of Department
• Victim and Witness Care Delivery Manager
• Three Victim and Witness Care Supervisors
• Twenty Victim and Witness Care Officers (a number of whom act as champions for specific types of crime, such as hate crime)
• Three Business Support Officers
• Team of community-based volunteers
• A specialist Victim and Witness Care Coordinator for Restorative Justice
• A specialist Victim and Witness Care Coordinator for migrant victims of exploitation

The Hub has access to specialist mental health support through a mental health well-being service run by Cambridge, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind, who are co-located within the Victim and Witness Hub.

The Victim and Witness Hub is also supported by a number of commissioned services to assist in providing the best support for victims and witnesses including Embrace Child Victims of Crime who can offer specialist support to young people and their families who have been affected by crime.

Who we help

Anyone living in Cambridgeshire who has been affected by a crime is eligible to access the Victim and Witness Hub services. This includes:

• Victims
• Bereaved relatives
• Parents or guardians of victims under 18
• Staff who are employed by a business that has been a victim of crime
• Witnesses of crime

People do not have to have reported a crime to the police to access this support.

Victims of crime who have made a report will be assessed at the time of reporting the crime. If needs are identified at this time, someone from the Victim and Witness Hub will make contact directly to assess the needs in greater detail to ensure victims are offered the best support available.

Witnesses who have suffered harm, including physical, mental, or emotional harm or economic loss, as a direct result of witnessing a crime, are a victim of crime for the purposes of the Victims’ Code and are able to access services that support victims. They do not need to have provided a statement to or been interviewed by the police or be required to attend court as a witness.

The Victim and Witness Hub appreciates that the effects of crime aren’t always apparent at the time and some people experience the effects later on. If someone feel's they need support long after a crime is committed, Victim and Witness Hub co-ordinators can support victims regardless of when a crime was committed.

Going to court?

Where a case is brought to court the Victim and Witness Hub will support victims and witnesses through the process, keeping them updated with the progress of the case and supporting them practically and emotionally if they are required to attend court and give evidence. The Coordinator will act as a single point of contact throughout.

Giving feedback

If you have had contact with the Victim and Witness Hub, we would really appreciate your feedback about the service you received. Please click the link below and complete the short survey. Thank you.

Victim and Witness Hub Feedback Survey (office.com)

If you have any other feedback about the Victim and Witness Hub you can also email us on victimandwitnesshub@cambs.police.uk