The Victim Services Conference 2026: Building Better Pathways to Support All Victims

Thank You

Our 2026 conference has now taken place. Thank you to everyone who spoke, attended, and supported The Victim Services Conference 2026.

We are already looking ahead to next year’s conference, taking place online on Tuesday 9th March 2027. To be among the first to receive programme updates, announcements, and early-bird opportunities, register your interest for 2027.

Missed out this year? You can still watch all the insights, key sessions, and expert discussions with our OnDemand Event. Access full recordings of every session, including presentations from leading industry speakers, and watch at your own pace.

Why Watch OnDemand?

• Watch on your own schedule – no need to clear your calendar or worry about time zones
• Learn at your own pace – pause, rewind, and rewatch key moments to fully absorb the content
• Get instant access after purchase to expert insights and curated content, perfect for busy professionals who want high-value content on demand

Access this conference OnDemand today for £245 here.

Supported By

Overview

After more than a decade of campaigning, the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 was passed into law, followed by the Victims and Courts Act 2025. These new laws aim to put victims at the heart of the justice system, providing victims with greater protections and a stronger voice throughout the legal process. Despite these legislative gains, frontline victim services remain under immense pressure due to funding issues and a rising demand for these services.

• Funding for frontline victim-support services is being cut by 4.2% in 2025 (The Cyber Helpline, 2025)
• The proportion of non-convictions due to victim withdrawal ranges between 27% – 32% nationally (CPS, 2025)
• At the end of September 2024, 73,105 cases were outstanding and almost a quarter of these had been outstanding at the Crown Court for over a year (Victims Commissioner, 2025)

Join us at The Victim Services Conference 2026 to hear the latest guidance and best practice around supporting victims in the criminal justice system. this event will explore how we can work together to improve the support victims receive by tackling key issues such as victim attrition, supporting victims of sexual assault, and helping victims to navigate the legal process.

Why Attend:

✓High-level keynotes from leading policymakers and practitioners improving outcomes for victims

✓Hear the latest national updates and evidence-based approaches to provide comprehensive victim support

✓Networking opportunities with speakers and senior colleagues working within victim services

✓8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

Get in Touch

2026 Agenda

• 9.00am

  Online Registration

• 9.50am

  Chair’s Opening Remarks

  Hannah Marshall, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick (CONFIRMED)

  

• 10.00am

  Keynote: The Independent Public Advocate and a New Era of Victim Support

  • Origins of the Independent Public Advocate – How decades of campaigning by bereaved families led to the creation of the IPA
  • The purpose of the role – Supporting victims after major incidents and shifting the burden of responsibility from victims to the state
  • Our ambitions and what “good” looks like– The difference the IPA is here to make, and how learning and reflection will shape our understanding of impact over time
  • The IPA in the wider victim support system – How the IPA complements existing services and strengthens the overall response to major incidents

  Cindy Butts, Standing Advocate, The Office of the Independent Public Advocate (CONFIRMED)

  

• 10.20am

  Lived Experience: Supporting the Bereaved Through Justice and Beyond

  • Providing compassionate, trauma-informed support to families and friends navigating the devastating loss of a loved one due to violent crime
  • Outlining the essential role of victim advocacy in helping victims to engage with police investigations and legal proceedings
  • Advocating for victims’ families in public forums and media to ensure their experiences influence change and are not forgotten
  • Working with government and justice agencies to improve support services, legal protections, and long-term care for those affected by homicide and violent crime

  Tracey Hanson, Founder and CEO, The Josh Hanson Trust (CONFIRMED)

  

• 10.50am

  Questions and Answers

• 11.10am

  Comfort Break

• 11.30am

  Case Study: Turning points: Opportunities to Supporting Children and Young People for improved recovery

  • Creating safe environments for children and young people to speak about their experiences
  • Tailoring communication to support younger victims and to ensure that they understand all stages of the process
  • Promoting multi-agency collaboration between the police, schools, youth workers, and social care to ensure that children and young people are holistically supported

  Clare Kelly, Service Head Local Relationships, Partnerships and influencing, NSPCC (CONFIRMED)

  

• 11.50am

  Case Study: Specialist independent domestic abuse advocacy within Children Social Care – lessons learnt

  Session details coming soon…

  Sian Lawrence, Manager, Cornwall Family Domestic Abuse Support Advisor Service, First Light (CONFIRMED)

  

• 12.10pm

  Questions and Answers

• 12.30pm

  Lunch Break

• 1.20pm

  Breakout Networking: Providing Consistent Support Services for Victims of Crime

  This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face in providing consistent support services for victims of crime. Hear more about shared challenges and learn from solutions being trialled and implemented by colleagues across the criminal justice system.

• 1.40pm

  Keynote: Identifying and Responding to Child Sexual Exploitation

  Session details coming soon…

  Liz Horton, Practitioner, Barnardo’s TIGER Service (CONFIRMED)

  

• 2.00pm

  Case Study: Supporting Staff Providing Victim Services

  Emily Denne, Independent safeguarding consultant and advocate (CONFIRMED)

• 2.20pm

  Questions and Answers

• 2.40pm

  Comfort Break

• 3.00pm

  Case Study: Supporting Victims of Hate Crime Within a Hostile Environment

  • Using a person-centred approach to provide targeted support for victims of race, religion, and identity-based hate
  • Understanding the impact that hate crime can have on victims physically, emotionally, and financial
  • Strategies for ensuring that victims feel safe in their homes and local area
  • Implementing cultural competency and understandings of intersectionality throughout victim services

  Kush May-Chahal, Director of Training Services, Stop Hate UK (CONFIRMED)

  

• 3.20pm

  Case Study: Digital Victimisation: Adapting Services to Online Harms

  • The rise of tech-facilitated abuse including stalking, harassment, and non-consensual imagery
  • Understanding legal developments in online abuse and their implications for frontline services
  • Training frontline professionals to identify and respond effectively to digital harms
  • Strategies for preventing digital exclusion

  Charlotte Hooper, Head of Operations, The Cyber Helpline (CONFIRMED)

  

• 3.40pm

  Questions and Answers

• 4.00pm

  Chair’s Closing Remarks

  Hannah Marshall, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick (CONFIRMED)

  

• 4.10pm

  Conference Close

  *programme subject to change without notice

Speakers

Jim Simon

Chief Executive

Restorative Justice Council

Duncan Craig OBE

Chief Executive

We are Survivors

Michael Banks

Victims Champion

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner

Joanna Shapland

Professor of Criminal Justice

University of Sheffield

Johanna Parks

Director of Operations

Victim Support

Dr Simon Harding

Director

Criminology Services

Tracey Hanson

Founder & CEO

Josh Hanson Trust

Testimonials

Why You Should Attend

✓High-level keynotes from leading policymakers and practitioners improving outcomes for victims

✓Hear the latest national updates and evidence-based approaches to provide comprehensive victim support

✓Networking opportunities with speakers and senior colleagues working within victim services

✓8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

.

Who Should Attend

The conference is specifically for all those responsible for, or involved in, supporting victims and witnesses of crime including:

Pricing Options

Sponsorship

Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business

If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

• Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
• Lower sponsorship package costs
• No travel/accommodation
• Less time out of the office
• No stand materials required (lower costs)
• 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
• Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
• Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
• Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below: