Deputy Team Leader - Witness Service

It's an exciting time to join Victim Support, as we prepare to begin delivery of the Witness Service from April 2026. We look forward to welcoming current Witness Service staff and volunteers to Victim Support - and we're also now beginning recruitment for several new roles and to fill vacant positions.

Victim Support is seeking a committed and detail-focused Deputy Team Leader to help coordinate and maintain excellent support for witnesses within busy Court environments in Chester and Crewe. You will play a vital role in supporting the Team Leader, volunteers, and wider service ensuring witnesses receive timely, compassionate, and effective support throughout their justice journey.

This role is full-time working 37.5 hours per week covering Chester Crown Court, Chester Magistrates Court and Crewe Magistrates Court.

Are you an organized, proactive individual with a passion for supporting victims and witnesses as they navigate the justice system? Do you enjoy working collaboratively, ensuring high-quality service delivery, and supporting others to perform at their best?

If you thrive in fast-paced environments, have strong communication and data-handling skills, and are motivated by service excellence, we'd love to hear from you.

At Victim Support, we are committed to supporting and developing our colleagues. Our competitive rewards and benefits package includes:

• Flexible Working Options - including hybrid working where applicable
• Generous Annual Leave - 28 days plus Bank Holidays, with options to buy or sell leave
• Birthday Leave - an extra day off to celebrate your birthday
• Pension Plan - 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced Allowances - enhanced sick, maternity and paternity pay
• Exclusive Discounts - high street, holidays, gyms, entertainment, and more
• Financial Wellbeing Support - access to salary deducted finance and guidance
• Wellbeing Resources - employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
• EDI Networks - opportunities to engage in colleague groups promoting equity and inclusion
• Sustainable Travel Schemes - Cycle to Work and season ticket loans
• Career Development - comprehensive training and ongoing development opportunities

As the Deputy Team Leader - Witness Service (Court-Based), you will support the delivery of a high quality, safe, and consistent service for all witnesses attending court.

You will:

• Support daily case allocations to ensure witnesses receive timely needs and risk assessments, support, and referrals.
• Conduct case management system audits, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and high-quality reporting.
• Collate and analyse performance data, contributing to KPI monitoring and quality assurance.
• Support rota planning to maintain appropriate resource coverage across the court cluster.
• Assist with volunteer accreditation, training, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.
• Input, update, and report on witness information, ensuring comprehensive assessments and referrals.
• Promote effective communication within the team, coordinating meetings and sharing learning.
• Build and maintain relationships with statutory, voluntary, and community partners.
• Deputise for the Team Leader when required, ensuring service standards and targets are met.
• Contribute to a trauma-informed, person-centred approach that prioritises dignity, safety, and inclusion.

This role requires strong attention to detail, confidence using digital systems, and the ability to manage competing demands while supporting a high-performing team.

• An understanding of the criminal justice system and the impact of crime on victims and witnesses.
• Experience working in challenging environments with a focus on customer experience and service excellence.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and advisory skills-both written and verbal.
• The ability to prioritise work with minimal supervision and manage conflicting demands.
• Experience processing, analysing, and reporting information from multiple sources.
• Competence in using IT systems including Microsoft Office and case management systems.
• A commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, equality, diversity, and inclusion.

• The role may involve exposure to emotionally demanding situations and requires resilience.
• Travel across the Court cluster may be required.
• Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary.
• An Enhanced DBS check will be required.

The Witness Service provides free, independent support to any witness giving evidence in criminal courts in England and Wales-both for the prosecution and the defence. Our trained staff and volunteers help people understand what to expect before, during and after a trial, and offer practical and emotional support every step of the way, so witnesses can give their best evidence. The Witness Service also supports bereaved family members, friends and family who are accompanying witnesses in court.

This is an exceptional opportunity to help us ensure a smooth transition and shape a high-quality, high-impact and trauma-informed service-so every witness feels informed, supported, and more confident in court.

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.