Homicide Service

Bereaved families affected by murder or manslaughter should be told about our Homicide Service by the police family liaison officers (FLOs), who will, with consent, refer into the service if they have experienced a murder or manslaughter. The police also can refer direct eyewitnesses into the service.

Anyone bereaved, or who has been a direct eyewitness, can also contact us directly by calling our National Homicide Service on 0300 303 1984.

How our Homicide Service works

The service is offered to bereaved families by their police family liaison officer (known as the FLO) or the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) country caseworker. The FLO is an essential part of the investigation and a key link to the bereaved family. FLOs are key partners with Victim Support in the provision of support.

Once we have consent, a homicide caseworker is assigned and a meeting is offered; this can be face-to-face, by telephone or online depending on preference.

Our National Homicide Service supports people bereaved by murder and manslaughter in England and Wales. This vital service helps people in a number of ways, including:

  • navigating and knowing what to expect from the criminal justice system
  • helping with their immediate needs, such as accessing financial assistance
  • providing help through our trusted partner services including bereavement and/or trauma counselling, restorative justice, debt, legal and housing advice.

From 1 June 2023, Victim Support Homicide Service will continue to provide valuable support to those who have been bereaved through homicide both in the UK and abroad and will also offer support to these additional groups:

  • Eyewitnesses of homicide. An eyewitnesses means an individual who has directly witnessed a homicide or major incident and suffered mental or emotional harm as a result.
  • Eyewitnesses to a major incident. A major incident means an incident where a crime causes fatalities which local services are unable to manage and/or where a response is required under one or more of the emergency services’ major incident plans.
  • Short-term outreach support for children and young people in the immediate aftermath of a homicide in their community or a major incident (as described above).

For both those who are bereaved and eyewitnesses, we can also offer specialist services.

All of our services are aimed at supporting bereaved families to help them cope with their loss. The Homicide Service commissions the following services:

  • trauma counselling
  • bereavement counselling
  • support for children and young people both bereaved and witnesses
  • welfare advice
  • advocacy on your behalf for housing, finance (e.g. debt), employment, welfare benefits, family and school issues
  • access to legal advice and support when needed
  • comprehensive peer support network, where you can share knowledge, emotional assistance and practical help with others who have been bereaved through murder or manslaughter.

For those who are directly bereaved:

  • restorative justice
  • support and advocacy through the Domestic Homicide Review process, and other reviews such as Serious Case Reviews and inquests

The service is usually offered to bereaved families by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) country caseworker in their Murder and Manslaughter Team.

A major part of our work is helping people navigate and know what to expect from the criminal justice system, and providing someone independent to talk to. The list of practical services we provide include:

  • help with any immediate, practical needs, such as assisting with travel, legal or interpretation costs
  • help victims access financial assistance such as state benefits and compensation claims

Bereaved families, or direct eyewitnesses affected by a murder or manslaughter, should be told about our Homicide Service by the police family liaison officers who contact us if you have experienced a murder or manslaughter. If people are happy to receive our help, the police will contact our service directly and we’ll arrange to see you as soon as convenient.

Anyone bereaved in this way can also contact us directly by calling our National Homicide Service on 0300 303 1984.

If English is not your first language and you would like some support, call us and let us know which language you speak and we will call you back with an interpreter as soon as possible.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, we also welcome calls via the Relay UK app.

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