Your support

When a crime occurs, people and communities are affected by the impact. Not everyone recognises themselves as a ‘victim’ and you may not feel this label refers to you. That’s ok. We want you as a person affected by crime to get the independent support you need regardless of whether or not you report what has happened to the police.

Everyone deals with crime and harm in different ways. Sometimes we are affected and sometimes we are not. Sometimes the effects are life changing and other times they are more of an annoyance. Your response to crime is as individual as you. But you are entitled to support regardless of how serious the crime was, or when it happened. Our support is there to help you to cope and recover from all types of crime in Devon and Cornwall and all of our support is:

Independent of
the police

Free

Confidential

Available even if you have not reported the crime to the police

Tailored to
your needs

We also know that you may not feel affected by what has happened to you right now, but that you may change your mind for a number of reasons. You may also have said no to support at first but wish you had said yes later. We understand this and that is why independent support in Devon and Cornwall can be accessed at any time, even if what happened to you was long ago. You can also re-access support, even if you have had support before. We are here for you when you are ready to get help.

Click on each section below to find out more about accessing support:

What is available in Devon and Cornwall?

There are many different services available in Devon and Cornwall to help you or someone you care about. We know that it is important for you to get the right sort of support and that may mean accessing one or more type of support with specialist knowledge or skills. We understand that you will want to explore options and make decisions about what is best for you. To do this we have adopted an approach that ensures you get a thorough needs assessment and a support plan created with you. Your plan may include access to one or more services that are timed in a way which is right for your recovery. It may include access to practical, emotional, advice or guidance or therapy. You may also be referred to any one of our specialist local providers who we work with. Each of these options will be explained to you when you speak to your independent advocate. Read more about how this works here.
Where do I go first?
Victim Support provides our needs assessment service in Devon and Cornwall and act as our front door. Their independent, trained, and accredited advocates are there to help you navigate the support available, empowering you to make choices about what you need. You can contact them in the following ways;

Local access Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm 0300 3030554
Out of hours call the national support line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0808 1689111
You can also live chat with Victim Support – please click here to begin a chat session

If you have reported the crime to the police, they will ask you if you would like a referral for support. They can make the onward referral for you, or you can choose to access our support on your own. There is no right or wrong way to access support.

You can also create a free account on My Support Space – an online resource containing interactive guides to help you move forward after crime.
What happens if the crime did not happen in Devon and Cornwall?
How do I report my crime to the police?

We understand that the decision to report a crime isn’t always easy and that you might not want to, or feel able to, for lots of reasons.

If you do want to report your crime to Devon and Cornwall Police, please click here to complete an online form. You can also call 101 in a non-emergency situation, or if a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

You can also report a crime face to face at any police station front desk. Click here to find a police station near you.

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