4 things we’ve learnt from supporting witnesses during a pandemic
Last week, we published our coronavirus impact report for 2020/21. It’s an incredible testimony to how much our staff and volunteers have overcome.
The past year has been a whirlwind of change for the Witness Service. Despite the restrictions and new social norms, we’ve maintained our face-to-face service. Because that’s exactly what we’re here to do — support witnesses to give their best evidence in court.
Here are 4 things we’ve learnt from supporting witnesses during a pandemic.
We’re able to adapt our service
When the government introduced social distancing back in March 2020, we had to change the way we provided support for witnesses. We worked quickly to increase our capacity on digital channels such as phone and video call. So that in 2020/21, just under half of all pre-trial support for witnesses was virtual. This allowed us to keep meeting demand, helping people access our service wherever they were.
We know that being able to help witnesses remotely has benefits outside of a pandemic, too. In the coming year, we’ll be making digital support a real priority. We’ll look at how we can use online tools to provide a more inclusive service so every witness feels confident about giving evidence in the future.
Witnesses often need support for more than giving evidence
For most witnesses, being called to give evidence is so much more than just a day in court. It’s a highly personal experience that can revive trauma, feelings of anxiety and stress.
We train our volunteers to be professionals. They’re able to understand a witness’s specific needs and treat them as individuals. That’s why over the last year we made more than 3000 referrals to other support services, including local Citizens Advice, meaning more people could access the right level of help that they might otherwise have missed out on.
Our staff and volunteers understand that being a witness needs more than practical support. It’s no surprise then, that 93% of witnesses who responded to our survey said all or most of their individual needs were met by the Witness Service.
Our volunteers really are the heart of our service
During the pandemic, many of our volunteers weren’t able to continue their work in courts due to shielding requirements and health and safety measures. We missed them all a great deal, but safety had to come first.
Despite the resourcing challenge, we were still able to help a total of 51,693 witnesses in the last financial year. Not only this, but we increased the proportion of vulnerable and intimidated witnesses who received enhanced support from 15% in 2019/20, to 21% in 2020/21 — an all-time high for us. It’s clear that our volunteers work incredibly hard and are hugely dedicated. Thanks to them, even in these extraordinary times, we’re still able to go above and beyond to help witnesses.
It’s great to see that 57% of volunteers have now returned to their roles, alongside 1128 new recruits since the end of June 2021. With our staffing numbers recovering, it’s amazing to think what we can achieve next year.
We’re able to be consistent through times of change
It’s hard to think of an aspect of life that hasn’t been affected by the pandemic. Everyone has experienced their own journey, navigating change and challenges alike.
Our witnesses are no different. But on top of all that, they need to give evidence in court during a pandemic. That’s not something most people will be asked to do, and it’s scary — even without coronavirus.
It’s incredible then, that the Witness Service has been a reliable source of support throughout this period. From our survey, the percentage of witnesses who said they were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with our support was almost identical to the previous year (96% in 2020/21 compared with 98% in 2019/20).
By adapting how we work and consulting our partners, staff and volunteers every step of the way, our service has remained consistently high, and our witnesses can feel confident about giving their best evidence.
