Who we work with

Victim Support is an independent charitable organisation for the support of people affected by crime, trauma, and suicide. We are not a government agency but work closely alongside government and other charitable organisations to provide a collaborative approach and broad range of support to victims.

Victim Support’s work is recognised as an essential service by the Government.

Ministry of Justice
Victim Support has a close and co-operative working relationship with the Ministry of Justice as the primary funder of Victim Support’s work for victims of crime and trauma. In addition to Victim Support’s baseline funding and accountabilities, Victim Support’s specialist homicide support service is provided with funding from the Ministry of Justice.

NZ Police
Victim Support is not part of police, but we work closely with them.

When an incident is reported to police, the Police Officer or Police Communications Centre may make a referral to Victim Support directly on your behalf if:

• it is a serious or violent incident (a serious crime, fatal or serious injury crash, suicide, or another serious traumatic event)
• you are seriously affected by the incident
• your case is likely to be involved with the justice system for an extended period.

Police will always advise you if they are making this referral for you. You can still ask police to refer you to Victim Support, or refer yourself to Victim Support, even if you don’t meet these criteria.

We also work closely with police in a broad range of areas to improve our support to victims, especially those at the highest risk of victimisation and repeat victimisation.

As part of our Memorandum of Understanding with police, Victim Support receives pro-bono office facilities in police stations throughout the country and for our National Office in Police National Headquarters in Wellington.

Ministry of Health
Victim Support is contracted by the Ministry of Health to deliver bereavement support services to people affected by suicide. This support is available to support family, whānau, friends, and discoverers following a suicide. This support is provided by our Support Workers nationwide under the supervision of five dedicated Bereavement Service Specialists.

Ministry of Social Development
Victim Support works with the Ministry of Social Development to provide specialist support to victims of family violence in Auckland, Waikato, and Canterbury.

Oranga Tamariki
Victim Support works alongside Oranga Tamariki to support victims through the youth justice process, particularly the Family Group Conference process.

Courts
Victim Support has a close working relationship with the Courts and provide regular advocacy and support for victims participating in the Court process. In particular, Victim Support regularly assists victims with the completion of Victim Impact Statements and seeking Protection Orders.

We support victims as they go through District Courts, High Courts, Coroner’s Courts, the Parole Board, Youth Courts, and Restorative Justice. Victim Support also provides the Victims of Crime Information Line on behalf of the Ministry of Justice via our 24/7 Contact Service, connecting victims with Court Victim Advisors and information about the court process.

Our partnerships
Partnerships and collaborations are core to the effectiveness of our service, and these continue to be an integral part of our journey to enhance and sustain the support provided to victims in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Victim Support works with hundreds of other local and national organisations to enhance our service and connect victims with the support they need.

Community support
As demand for our services continues to grow, support from our community (individuals, businesses, trusts and foundations) is vital.
Our frontline Support Workers and Local Group Committees are a vital part of the Victim Support fabric, connecting us to the communities that we support.

Our work with Māori is guided by the Treaty of Waitangi, led by our Kaumātua and Cultural Advisory Group. We also work closely with Social Work Services in hospitals, Coronial Services, Refugee and Migrant Services to provide a seamless and culturally appropriate support to victims.

Our funding
Victim Support relies on a mix of funding from government, donations, and community grants to provide support for victims every day, at any time, and for as long as needed.