Kent

Phone

0808 168 9276

If you’ve been affected by crime, call your local victim care team in Kent. Lines are open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

Supportline

08 08 16 89 111

If you need support outside of your local team’s opening hours, you can call our Supportline for free. Or find other ways to get help.

Get help from your local team

Call us

If you’ve been affected by crime, call your local victim care team in Kent on 08 08 16 89 276. Lines are open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

If you need telephone support outside of your local team’s opening hours, you can call our Supportline, for free, on 08 08 16 89 111. Supportline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Go online

Our free live chat support service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can also request support via the website. A member of the team will get back to you within three working days.

My Support Space is a free online resource containing interactive guides aimed at helping you to manage the impact crime has had on you. It’s easy to set up an account and it allows you to work through the guides at your own pace.

Specialist services

Across Kent and Medway, we have some dedicated specialist support services available which includes:

Children and Young People

A specialist support service for children and young people (CYP) offering direct support for those affected by crime, or trauma. Our trained CYP supporter helps young people directly between ages 4 and 17 enabling them to feel safe, build confidence, and access the help they need. Indirect support is provided to those aged 3 and under via parents or guardians.

For more information or to make a referral, call freephone 08 08 16 89 276 or you can email: cyp.kent@victimsupport.org.uk

Hate Crime Advocate service

Hate crime is any criminal act motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity whether this is actual or perceived. It can include, but not limited to: verbal abuse, harassment, threats, or physical violence, whether in person or online.

Our hate crime advocate is here to help if you or someone you know has been affected, you don’t have to face it alone. For more information or to make a referral, call freephone 08 08 16 89 276 or email HateCrimeKent@victimsupport.org.uk

Stalking Advocate service

Stalking is defined as a pattern of repeated, persistent behaviour that causes fear, distress, or harm. This may include but not limited to: unwanted contact (direct or indirect), surveillance, threats, whether in person or online.

We have a team of qualified independent stalking advocacy caseworkers (ISACs), who can advocate on behalf of individuals who have open investigations with the police, offer practical guidance to support individuals in managing their safety, and much more.

For more information or to make a referral, call freephone 08 08 16 89 276 or email: KentStalking@victimsupport.org.uk

Fraud

Romance Fraud involves individuals being deceived by a fraudster, thinking they are in a genuine relationship, but can also be a friendship. The fraudster may convince them to send them money, or to keep hold of/ transfer money to another account for them. They often take place online, with the fraudster creating a fake identity and using stolen images to convince the victims they are real.

Romance fraud can be complex and fraudsters often spend a significant amount of time gaining the victims trust, which can make it all the more devastating when they realise the relationship and the person they are speaking with isn’t genuine.

A specialist fraud peer support service is available in Kent and Medway, providing one-to-one casework, a group work programme and peer support sessions to victims of relationship fraud. Please call freephone 03 03 31 32 955 or email FraudPeerSupportPilot@victimsupport.org.uk for further information.

Volunteering

Are you interested in volunteering with us in Kent?

Do you have some spare time to give? We have various roles available to suit the needs of everyone.

The continued commitment and support our volunteers give ensures we are able to help as many victims of crime as we do. Whether it’s supporting clients directly, focusing on a specific crime type or supporting in community engagement and fundraising there is loads to get involved with.

See our current volunteering opportunities.

If you want to have a chat about volunteering or ask a question you can email our volunteer and community engagement manager at kentvolunteering@victimsupport.org.uk.

You can learn more about volunteering, the roles Victim Support offers and some vital frequently asked question on the volunteering page.

How we can help

We give free, confidential help to people who have been affected by crime, either as a victim or witness, in Kent and Medway. We’re an independent charity and you can contact us for support regardless of whether you’ve contacted the police, and no matter how long ago the crime took place. You can also contact us for support regardless of your immigration status in England and Wales.

If you call your local Victim Support team, we’ll provide support that’s personalised to you. We’ll listen with compassion and help you find ways to manage and feel safer. We can also inform you of your rights and the services that you may be entitled to. If you’d like us to, we can refer you to other specialist organisations that can also help.

One of the people we’ve helped to cope after crime is Vivienne (not her real name) who for 25 years suffered extreme physical, verbal and financial abuse from her husband.

Vivienne’s husband would throw her across the room, put her in chokeholds and physically hurt her – sometimes in front of their children. She lived in constant fear and often considered taking her own life. One day her husband reversed his car into her and the next day attacked her resulting in one of her sons calling the police. Her husband was arrested but police failings led to him only receiving a caution. Vivienne is now in the process of divorcing him and is looking forward to a new life.

Vivienne first came into contact with Victim Support in the autumn of 2024 after her husband was arrested. She was referred to the charity by a support worker at her doctor’s surgery.

Vivienne was introduced to her caseworker, Michael.

“Michael has been incredible and really supportive. He would listen and he would make me feel like, ‘Oh, actually I am normal’ or ‘Oh, I am validated in that.’

“I would be upset about something and Michael would say, ‘But that’s perfectly normal to feel that way,’ so he became this sounding board. I could hear myself talk and he was very, very good at listening.

“I spoke to him every couple of weeks which was good because if it was every week I might have found myself relying a bit too much on him and so he helped me learn how to cope and survive.

“It was also good for me that my caseworker was a man. I was asked if I would like a man or a woman and I said I didn’t mind but it worked out well because it made me feel that maybe not all men are like my abuser. I really did trust Michael.

“Finding Victim Support was an absolute game changer for me… an absolute life changer. I would recommend the charity 100% to anyone who is going through even part of what I did.”

“I would never, ever have believed that I am where I am now. And I could never have come this far without you guys.”

We work with a number of partner organisations in Kent to make sure you get the support you need. Find out more about some of the services and organisations we work with.

Please note, Victim Support is not responsible for the content of third-party websites.