Voice Launches Home Support App To Help Victims of Crime During Social Distancing

Voice Launches Home Support App To Help Victims of Crime During Social Distancing

Voice for Victims and Witnesses - the free, confidential support service for victims and witnesses of crime in Northamptonshire - is today releasing the Voice Home Support Hub app, to help people cope and recover from the effects of crime during social distancing.

The app is available for download now, for free, at www.voicehomesupporthub.co.uk

The lockdown measures imposed to help stop the spread of Covid-19 have, for many, resulted in a loss of routine structure and traditional social networks that people rely on for support following traumatic experiences. This can have a profound effect on an individual's ability to recover from crime, especially at a time when latent anxiety is prevalent in many regarding the health of themselves, friends and family.

Voice - which is still operational and supporting people by phone and online during social distancing - has therefore created its Home Support Hub application to help breakdown these barriers to recovery by providing practical information on how to stay physically and mentally healthy during social distancing. The app details elements such as how people can improve their sleep pattern or harness their creativity to help their recovery journey.

Although created for those recovering from trauma, the Voice Home Support Hub contains practical advice for anyone struggling with their mental health during this period of isolation.

Fiona Campbell, Chief Executive of Voice, said:

"At this unprecedented time, it's important that we are as agile and flexible as possible when offering support to victims of crime who may be struggling with additional pressures that social distancing brings.

"The Voice Home Support Hub app has been created to offer another branch of support to those who need it, by collating expert information about how to stay physical and mentally healthy, which will help to aid recovery.

"I'd like to reassure anyone who is in need of support following crime that we are still here for them at this time, our phonelines are open and we are offering telephone and online support to anyone who need us."

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold, whose office funds Voice, added:

"This is a fantastic example of how we can use technology to enhance our services to victims of crime, whose needs are at the heart of my police and crime plan.

"I have always said that I'd like to harness the power of technology to improve the way we deliver services to people and I'm delighted to see Voice pro-actively thinking about how they need to adapt given these challenging times."

Anyone who has been a victim or witness of crime in Northamptonshire can access Voice, regardless of when the crime took place, and regardless of whether they have reported anything to the police or not. Support is free and confidential. Call 0300 303 1965 or visit voicenorthants.org.

Find out more about Voice at https://voicenorthants.org/