Advocacy

Victim Support Service workers advocate for crime victims in two ways:

Individual Issue
Many clients who attend the service for counselling or to gain new information also require the services of a counsellor to advocate on their behalf with other organisations from which services are sought. These organisations may be the public housing authority (Housing SA), the police department (SAPOL) or the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to name a few.

Community Issue
From time-to-time the counsellors identify an issue that goes beyond an individual concern and represents an issue that many people are adversely effected by. Some examples of these have been:

•  the reported fear that elderly people have about being a crime victim.
• the inability of women and children to gain Victims of Crime Compensation in sexual assault matters where no conviction is gained in court.