You will be directly supporting witnesses (and their friends and families) through the experience of attending court. You’ll be based at court to give them practical information about the process, as well as emotional support to help witnesses feel more confident about giving evidence.
As a Witness Service court-based Volunteer you will be asked to:
- Give witnesses and their supporters emotional support, guidance and information at court (e.g. explain court procedures and legal terms, support them with completing expense forms).
- Show witnesses and others around the courtroom before a trial so they are familiar and at ease in the environment (in courts outside London only)
- Carry out the paperwork necessary to record and evaluate our work.
- Go into the courtroom with a witness on trial day if permitted.
- Identify additional support to which we can signpost or refer witnesses.
- Work as part of a team with other Witness Service volunteers and staff as well as liaising with court personnel.
- Attend more than one court in your area when necessary
What’s in it for you?
- Have a positive impact in your community and on the lives of witnesses and their supporters
- Training, accreditation and continued personal development and support in the role
- Use your skills and life experiences to help others
- The opportunity to take on additional roles such as a buddy / IT champion
- Gain valuable experience and development of interpersonal skills
- Reimbursement of agreed out of pocket expenses
What do you need to have?
You don’t need specific qualifications but you’ll need to:
- Be friendly, caring, supportive and empathetic towards others.
- Be non-judgemental and impartial.
- Have good communication skills; both written and verbal, as well as being a good listener.
- Be able to work effectively as part of a diverse team
- Be reliable, committed and flexible.
- Be willing to use computers for training and communication.
- The ability to handle challenging situations and use your initiative, experience and training to solve problems and make appropriate decisions.
How much time do you need to give?
- It can take around 3 months to become fully accredited as a Witness Service Volunteer. The expectation is that you can volunteer for a minimum of 12 months after you’ve completed your training.
- We’ll ask you can offer a minimum of one day per week at court where you will usually be needed from 9am-5pm. This would be agreed between you and your Team Leader and we welcome requests for flexible arrangements.
- You’d also be invited to and expected to attend - ongoing training, volunteer meetings and regular one-to-one support sessions, which are typically held every quarter.
How to apply?
Our application form will ask you some basic questions about yourself and what motivated you to apply for the role. Try to give more than a one-line response. The more information you give us, the more we can get a picture of if this might be the right role for you.
We sometimes get applications we have to reject, as the applicant hasn't given us enough information to know if they would be a good fit for the role. We don't want to miss out on people who could be great volunteers for us.
To apply, please complete the application form here.
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Citizens Advice East End encourages opportunities for volunteering from the diverse local community. We recognise the value of a wide range of skills and experiences and believe that they enhance our team.
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