Confidentiality
We take confidentiality very seriously, because we know it's important to the people we help
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Our service is confidential but we do sometimes have to share information with partner agencies for a very specific reason - to help keep people safe. So, for example, if you tell us something that makes us think you may be at risk of significant harm, especially if you are a young person, we may need to involve specialists from other organisations. This can also be an issue if we think you are at very high risk of being harmed, for example through being in a violent relationship. If we think we need to involve others and share information about you for any reason we will normally discuss it with you before doing anything.
Apart from this we will always protect your confidentiality and will not pass on your details, information you tell us, or anything that could lead to you being identified to the media or other members of the public, without your permission. This means that even within Victim Support, the only people who will normally see records about you are the people in the team that is supporting you. If you read or hear about people helped by Victim Support in the media you can be certain that, if we were involved in organising it, they gave their clear consent to take part.
If you want to talk to us completely anonymously, you can call our Supportline without giving your name, address or phone number. You can hide your number when you call us by dialing 141 before our Supportline number (0845 30 30 900). You can also send Supportline an email using an anonymous email address. The Supportline is a member of the Helplines Association.
Special information for young people
If you are aged 13 or under and you have been a victim of a very serious crime, we may have to get the consent of your parent or carer before we can support you. But if you worried about any of this we can explain it in more detail if you get in touch with us.