Support for Victims
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What We Do
Practical Support for Service Users:
- Offers ongoing support free of charge to victims and their families
- Provides a unique understanding based on 6 years of specialised service provision
- Operates throughout Northern Ireland
- Uses a client centred approach which seeks to empower the person
- Encourages the reporting and recording of racist incidents
- Accepts referrals from all organisations and individuals including self referral
- We will offer you a safe and confidential environment to share your experiences.
- We will help explore your options and support you in your decisions.
- We will assist you in making housing applications
- We will help you with Criminal Injuries Compensation claims.
Practical Support for the Community:
- Conducts training in partnership with NICEM’s Anti-racism Training Project
- Organises awareness raising workshops with community groups, youth clubs, and voluntary organisations
- Presentations and participation at conferences and other events
- Works within communities to promote understanding of issues and acceptance of others
- Work with all statutory and community organizations wanting to ensure equality for their service users
Bi-lingual Support Workers for victims of Race Hate crime and harassment
The Bi-lingual Support Workers will provide a one-stop shop model of services to victims of racist hate crime, whether they are settled ethnic minorities, migrant workers or asylum seekers and refugees. They will provide a comprehensive support service to victims based on a client centred approach and working in partnership with those individuals and/or organisations dedicated to principles of equality. This is a partnership approach and the project will supplement the current support mechanisms available including Victim Support NI and others. The service covers all of Northern Ireland with a worker to cover the Belfast and Mid-Ulster area and a worker based in Londonderry/Derry to cover the Northwest area.
These posts are funded by the PSNI.
Main areas of support
- Provide a safe place to enable victims to share their experiences (listening through support) and encourage them to report the case to the local police station and to increase reporting to the police
- Risk assessments and exploration of options in order to respond to the needs of the victims and her/his family;
- Draw up action plans that are agreed with the victims;
- Assist victims to prepare police statements and accompany victims to attend police interviews;
- Liaise regularly with PSNI in providing follow-up support;
- Assist victims to make applications to the NIHE under homelessness legislation or to reassess points under the Common Selection Scheme and also liaise with local Housing Association to identify suitable accommodation arrangements;
- Liaise with NIHE housing officers and officials regarding any rehousing needs.
- Provide outreach clinics for victims of racist hate and other support organisations one evening per month
- Make referrals to local and/or regional organisations if necessary, in particular specialist assistance such as criminal injuries compensation, trauma centre, social workers and special needs for children;
- Assist victims to make complaints to the concerned agencies (i.e., Police Ombudsman, Housing, Consumer Council);
- To contact the support workers for support or to make a referral please email bilingualsupportworker@migrantcentreni.org
The support project began in 2000 as a direct response to the needs of our service users. The project aims to provide practical advice and support to those who have experienced racist harassment and discrimination. We use a client centred approach and ensure a safe and confidential environment for people to share their experiences with us. We assist people with issues around housing, compensation claims, liaising with the police and communities. In addition to our work with individuals we also work within communities raising awareness and supporting them in promoting anti-racism.
