If you have been affected by crime, Victim Care Merseyside is here to help.

Victim Care Merseyside is the Police and Crime Commissioner’s dedicated package of support for all victims of crime living in Merseyside, tailored to your individual needs.

What is Victim Care Merseyside?

Victim Care Merseyside is a specialist package of support designed to give all victims and survivors of crime the best possible help and care to cope and recover in the aftermath of a crime.

Victim Care Merseyside consists of a hub of trained staff acting as a single point of contact for all victims and survivors, offering access to free, confidential advice and support.

It also includes a range of specialist support services delivered by 10 independent local organisations providing bespoke, dedicated care to the most vulnerable victims of crime.

Finally, the Victim Care Merseyside service includes a website www.victimcaremerseyside.org which provides a wealth of information and advice, as well as a directory of more than 60 organisation offering support to victims across Merseyside.

Victim Care Merseyside hub

At the heart of the Victim Care Merseyside service is our team of trained, knowledgeable staff who can provide free, confidential and non-judgemental advice and support to anyone affected by crime living in Merseyside.

Real people on hand to make a real difference.

This local hub is a single point of contact for help and guidance, with a team of specially trained staff available to offer emotional and practical support tailored to your needs.

You can contact Victim Care Merseyside for help whether you have reported a crime to the police or not, and no matter when the crime happened.

Support is free and confidential.

You can contact Victim Care Merseyside by:

  • Calling Freephone 0808 175 3080 on weekdays between 8am and 6pm.
  • Requesting support by submitting a contact form at victimcaremerseyside.org at any time.

Specialist support services

As well as the hub, the Victim Care Merseyside service encompasses a network of independent support services providing specialist care to those affected by the most serious and harmful crimes.

These services are:

  • A dedicated aftercare support service for survivors of rape and sexual assault– jointly delivered by RASA Merseyside and Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC);.
  • Specialist support service for victims of Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Criminal Exploitation – delivered by social enterprise Catch 22.
  • A network of hate crime support services tailored to the type of support you need. This network includes a dedicated independent hate crime reporting service provided by Stop Hate UK. It also includes a specialist support service for victims of racial and religious hate crime provided by the Anthony Walker Foundation, a service offering specialist LGBTQ+ support delivered by Citizens’ Advice Liverpool, and Daisy Inclusive UK who can support anyone affected by disability hate crime.
  • A specialist service supporting victims of harmful practices, including FGM, forced marriage and so-called ‘honour-based’ violence, offered by Savera UK.
  • A specialist advice centre providing support for families who have lost a loved one to homicide, including crime-related road traffic collisions, delivered by Families Fighting for Justice.

If you’ve been affected by any of these crimes, you can request support directly from any of these organisations. Please find all their contact details at www.victimcaremerseyside.org

Victim Care Merseyside website

If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to someone yet, the Victim Care Merseyside website is a dedicated online resource offering advice and guidance.

It also has a directory of more than 60 local and national organisations providing support across Merseyside which youImage of the Victim Care Merseyside website on an ipad, phone, computer and laptop can search to find the best organisation to help you.

You can also use the website to ‘request support’ directly from the Victim Care Merseyside team.

Victim Care Merseyside website

 

 

 

The Commissioner holds quarterly meetings with Merseyside Police through the Victims' Programme Board to review how victims are supported from the first moment of contact and scrutinise how the mechanism for referring victims to enhanced support is working.

Take a look at the minutes from the Victims’ Programme Board