Citizens Advice Witness Service - Outreach Volunteer

Citizens Advice Witness Service - Outreach Volunteer

Organisation role · Flexible hours · Starting from 12 Sept 2024
Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom
Advice & MentoringSupport workAccompanying
Community & familySocial justiceWellbeing
I want to build my skills for work
Applications closing in 19 days.
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Citizens Advice Witness Service
#85335
Scan me or visit www.govolunteerglos.org/o/Citizens-Advice-Witness-Service2/opportunities/Citizens-Advice-Witness-Service---Outreach-Volunteer/85335 to join

Contact person

Catherine RedmondAsk Catherine a question

Summary

You’ll be a witness’ key supporter before, during and after the trial to help them prepare and cope with their experience of giving evidence.

Detailed description

  • Meeting with witnesses via video call and phone, using online tools where needed. Meeting witnesses at an approved location may be required when this would best meet their needs
  • Showing witnesses around the court before the trial so they are familiar and at ease in the environment.
  • Attending court on the day the witness gives evidence, accompanying them when giving evidence where permitted.
  • Making contact with the witness post trial to debrief their experience and facilitate referrals to other agencies.
  • Supporting witnesses at sentencing hearings at court where required


We support at Gloucester Crown Court, Cheltenham Magistrates, 2 remote sites in the Gloucester area and occasionally at Cirencencester Nightingale Crown Court. This role is extremely valuable and rewarding, excellent insight into the criminal justice system and experience helping vulnerable people. Full training provided and expenses reimbursed.

What volunteers need😇 Disclosure and Barring Service

What we will provide to volunteers

💸 Reimbursement of costs🤝 Extra support

Getting there

Applications closing in 19 days.
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About Citizens Advice Witness Service

Citizens Advice is a national charity that provides free-to-access information and advice to give people the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward.

The Witness Service provides free, confidential practical and emotional support for witnesses attending trials and hearings in every criminal court in England and Wales. We’re delivered by Citizens Advice, and funded by a grant from the Ministry of Justice. Our 300 staff and 2,000 volunteers supported more than 87,000 witnesses in 2021/22.

Our trained volunteers provide practical help, emotional support and information to witnesses so that they feel valued, respected and informed and able to give their best evidence in court.

We're a national service that operates at a local level, with staff and volunteer teams working from every Crown and Magistrates court in England and Wales. In Gloucestershire, we operate from Gloucester Crown Court, Cheltenham Magistrates Court and Cirencester Nightingale Court, as well as a number of videolink hubs for people giving evidence remotely.