Victim Support launches Nationwide Contact Service
Victim Support today launched a new nationwide Contact Service for victims of crime or sudden trauma. The service will manage all calls for Victim Support services referred from the Police or in some instances from the public.
The new Contact Service was launched today by Minister of Police Judith Collins and Victim Support Chief Executive Tony Paine.
The new contact service streamlines the ability for Victim Support to mobilise volunteers and to respond to Police call outs, in many cases within 45 minutes if Police deem the incident urgent. Contact Service staff are provided training to be able to prioritise responses and in how to deal with people who may be suffering from grief or trauma. Chief Executive Tony Paine said that development of the service has been a priority for Victim Support for the past 12 months.
"We've worked hard to make sure the service is a seamless and integrated response to victims and the New Zealand Police. Our service is 24/7 and we are quite literally everywhere in New Zealand. Couple that with a volunteer base of nearly 1000 and that's a lot of detail to factor into one system. We're delighted with the result – ultimately anything we can do to enhance the quality of our service to victims will always be a priority" added Mr. Paine.
Implementation of the new service has been supported by New Zealand Police through the provision of a phone system and office space.
"Victim Support volunteers are invaluable in helping people who are suffering from the impact of crime or trauma," said Police Commissioner Howard Broad. "The new centralised contact service makes it easier for police to quickly contact Victim Support and to know that there's a consistent and timely response for victims when it's needed most."
"Clear directions and information about the incident can be referred by police, recorded centrally and victims get a better coordinated support response as a result," he said. "Dealing with victims of crime will always be a police priority, particularly in significant crime and major trauma.
"This new centralised Victim Support contact point will ensure that Victim Support services are briefed and better able to lend their expertise when they're needed most."
A key component to the service is a state of the art online roster system (goroster.com) which automatically displays all the information the Contact Service needs about things such as, volunteer availability, training status and contact details.
As well as acknowledging support from NZ Police, Mr. Paine praised the in-kind support received from goRoster.com. "The roster system is an integral part of this new Service. It means we can identify who is available and more importantly if the incident requires a volunteer with the necessary specialist training, for example a homicide incident." Said Mr. Paine
The Contact Service will maintain a link with the volunteer sent on a call out – ensuring safety and an update on the incident should there be additional developments once the volunteer is no longer on duty.
Victim Support is partially funded by Government through the Ministry of Justice however Mr. Paine stressed development and Implementation of a service like this was an expensive exercise and signaled they will be looking to the private sector to support their work. We're always focused on fundraising. Our government funding does not cover all our costs. The New Zealand public has continuously supported our work and we appreciate that. This year we'll be focused on securing a national sponsor from the private sector – so that we can continue to develop our quality service to victims."
Media contact:
Emily Marden
Victim Support
027 414 0340
