1. Home: Explore careers
  2. Victim care officer

Victim care officer

Alternative titles for this job include Witness support officer

Victim care officers give practical and emotional support to people who've been affected by crime.

Average salary (a year)

£21,000 Starter

to

£30,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

30 to 37 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends flexibly

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a victim care officer

You can get into this job through:

  • volunteering
  • applying directly

Volunteering

Volunteering with an organisation that works with vulnerable people is a good way to get into this type of work. Charities like Victim Support offer different roles, depending on what you want to do. You can also search for volunteering opportunities in support work through Do It and NCVO.

To volunteer in a victim care role, you’ll need:

  • to be 18 or over
  • to be of good character
  • a caring nature and non-judgemental attitude

As a volunteer, you'll receive training, which will help you to develop your communication and listening skills, as well as the knowledge and understanding required to support victims of crime.

You may need between 1 and 2 years' experience as a volunteer before being able to apply for paid work.

Direct Application

You can apply directly for jobs if you have experience from related work, like:

  • social services, working with vulnerable adults or children
  • community or advice work
  • counselling

Experience of working in the justice system, for instance with the police, courts or prisons, would also be useful.

More Information

Career tips

The ability to communicate in a second language used in the community could be useful in some situations.

Further information

You can find more details about working with people affected by crime from Victim Support.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • knowledge of psychology
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a victim care officer, you would:

  • assess clients' needs and risks to their safety, and provide support
  • advocate for your client at meetings or hearings
  • support clients throughout the legal process
  • help clients to work with all relevant services, including the police
  • keep accurate records on a case management system
  • train and supervise volunteers

Working environment

You could work in an office or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become:

  • a senior victim care officer, dealing with complex cases
  • a unit or area manager, with responsibility for a number of centres, staff and volunteers
  • an independent advocate specialising, for example, in working with victims of domestic abuse

You could also move into witness care, with a greater focus on the legal and judicial system.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a victim care officer right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Uniformed, Public & Defence Services

  • Provider: HAVANT AND SOUTH DOWNS COLLEGE
  • Start date: 02 September 2024
  • Location: Waterlooville

Public and Uniformed Services

  • Provider: WIRRAL METROPOLITAN COLLEGE
  • Start date: 02 September 2024
  • Location: Bebington

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Is this page useful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.