The national Crime Victims Helpline, freephone 116 006, is a listening and support service for victims of crime in Ireland. Our aim is to support, inform and empower victims and all those impacted by crime. We provide time and space for victims to talk about their experiences. We also provide information about the criminal justice system and referrals to victim support services in the community.

What's Involved

The Crime Victims Helpline is currently recruiting for our Spring Volunteer Training Programme, 2023.

We are seeking friendly, reliable people to provide telephone support to our Helpline callers for 3-hours a week. As we are expanding our helpline service Monday through Thursday from 5.00pm to 7.30 pm, we are particularly looking for volunteers available to at these times. This volunteering will be done remotely, requiring a decent internet connection, either a laptop or PC, and a private space. There are also limited opportunities available from 10.00am to 5.00pm remotely and at our offices in D.2.

Volunteers must be warm, compassionate and non-judgmental. You must also be comfortable providing information and exploring options with callers without telling them what to do. We welcome volunteers from all walks of life and value diversity. Due to the nature of the work, fluent English is a must and basic IT skills required. Volunteers must be living in Ireland and over 18 years of age.

A minimum two-year commitment is required and extensive training is provided. All volunteers are subject to Garda vetting and reference checks.

Next Steps

1. Application- Complete and return application to mariem@crimevictimshelpline.ie by 16th March
2. Interview – Once we receive your completed application, you will be contacted to arrange for an interview. Shortly afterwards we will notify you whether you have been selected for training.
3. Training – You will receive extensive training on active listening skills; the criminal justice system; crime victims’ rights; and resources that are available in the community for victims of crime.
   Initial Training takes place in two modules:
   Module 1: Saturday, 25th March
   Module 2: Saturday, 1st April
4. You are required to complete two the two full days of training, (in-person training is preferable). Training is also offered remotely, online participants are expected to fully engage throughout the training days.
5. Observation – If invited to progress to the next step of training, you will shadow an experienced volunteer on the Helpline. This will allow you the opportunity to avail of more in-depth training, ask questions, familiarise yourself with the technology and record-keeping process and confirm whether you are comfortable with the requirements of the role. (4 x 2hour sessions)
6. Helpline Calls – When you are ready, you will begin to take Helpline calls. You will be supervised during this stage so that we can provide you with support and guidance after each call.

Once steps one through five are satisfactorily completed and it is mutually agreed that the role is a good fit, you will be offered a regular volunteer position on the Helpline.

Visit CrimeVictimsHelpline.ie for an application form