Victim & Witness Support Officer in Newcastle upon Tyne

Location: Agile, Forth Banks and homeworking

Hours/Contract: 37 Hours, FTC/Secondment Until 30 June 2027

Working for #TeamNP

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in. As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities.

As a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued. Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.

This is your opportunity to join our team on a fixed term/secondment basis. As a vital member of our team, you will play a key role in delivering effective support to victims of crime. Acting as a single point of contact, you will identify individuals with specific needs and develop personalised cope and recovery plans. Your coordination of support will be in strict accordance with the Victims Code, tailored to each person’s unique situation, circumstances, and needs.

What you’ll do

• You will be responsible for creating, developing and updating personal care and recovery plans for victims of crime, by researching and assessing their needs and agreeing appropriate support and information.
• You will help a victim cope and recover from the impact of crime using various communication methods.
• Liaising with various internal and external stakeholders, you will ensure a victim receives the practical and emotional support they need while undertaking risk assessments to ensure the safety of all parties.
• At the point a case enters the Criminal Justice System, you will provide updates on the case status and if a trial is required, you will need to ensure all witnesses are informed of the hearing date.
• For civilian witnesses, when required you will develop an individual court support and engagement plan to ensure the witness has all the practical and emotional support necessary to provide evidence at a court hearing.

What you’ll bring

• A passion for delivering the highest standards of customer care and service and have excellent communication skills, in particular, empathic listening.
• Demonstrable ability to effectively engage, build and maintain strong relationships with a range of individuals and groups in multi‑agency environment.
• An adaptable and open mindset being flexible in your approach to situations and people.
• Demonstrable initiative to finding innovative solutions to ensure victim satisfaction and identify opportunities for improvement.
• A willingness to learn about the Criminal Justice System and maintain a professional knowledge of appropriate legislation and criminal procedure rules.
• Confidence in the use of IT systems to allow you to maintain accurate records and adhere to data protection policies.
• Confidence to manage conflicting priorities and deal with time critical tasks.

We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

Benefits

• 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
• NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
• Flexi time – allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
• Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force
• Fantastic market‑leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
• Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
• Extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on‑site, an employee advice service for additional support.
• Access to gyms in some stations
• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
• Cycle to work scheme
• Opportunity to volunteer in local community

We are committed to building a dynamic, agile workplace where meaningful connections are key. For roles designated as agile or home‑based, employees will work from a Force site at least once a week, with two days recommended.

Just so you know, internal candidates with priority status will be given precedence for this role over other applicants. Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role.

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, working together to improve the lives of disabled employees. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process.

Use of AI in Applications: At Northumbria Police, we embrace innovative technologies to enhance our recruitment process. We encourage applicants to ensure their submissions accurately reflect their personal qualifications, experiences, and skills.

If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV DPL) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed.

Terms of appointment: This is a fixed term role subject to a six-month probationary period. If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.