Meet James, witness care officer

Time is ticking, but it’s still not too late to move to the meaningful job you promised yourself for 2023! We are recruiting now for witness care officers.

Supporting victims and witnesses to crime through the court process to secure effective convictions of criminals is vital work, helping to make Hertfordshire a safer place to live, work and visit.

James, joined Hertfordshire Constabulary as a witness care officer in March this year with a background in retail and working with the public, having worked for Hertfordshire County Council supporting a vaccine centre and an Afghanistan refugee project.

“The job appealed to me as it was something I have never done before and it was a new challenge for my career,” recalls James: “I have worked with many different people in the past in difficult situations and I felt I had the right skills to assist victims and witnesses. I love helping people and the idea of giving back to the community is something I wanted to do.

“I assist victims and witnesses to understand the court processes, updating them throughout and providing additional information to support them further. My job entails referring victims who need further safeguarding reviews to police officers and I also ensure that court outcomes are communicated by letter or phone to victims, ensuring they get the same high level of care.”

James likes his job and feels he is genuinely making a difference helping people through the legal system, by being their single point of contact throughout court proceedings. He describes a recent case involving an elderly lady who had her items stolen: “I explained the court and sentencing outcome and it took additional time to communicate what this meant for her. She appreciated me helping her to understand this and I felt like she was heard as her Victim Personal Statement was read out in court.”

He says the role can be difficult, but finds it fulfilling as it helps to give victims and witnesses a voice and there is always something new to learn, such as people management skills and how to resolve conflicts.

James adds: “I think the office is generally the best environment to work in, everyone is so friendly. Even though the work is challenging, we support each other and have everyone’s back. When things go wrong, I feel I can speak to others and our line managers are fully supportive, the communication is easy between everyone.”

Would you like to work for an organisation that’s putting crime and harm prevention first?

We are recruiting now for witness care officers.

↪️ Find out more and apply: witness care officers (opens in a new window).