The 24/7 availability of victim support will lead to some changes at the office. Dargebotene Hand will cover evening and night operations as well as weekends. Opferhilfe beider Basel will handle all calls between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. This also poses challenges for Victim Support in terms of content and organization.
The fact that Opferhilfe beider Basel will be available around the clock from November 1 means a significant improvement for people in the region. For the time being, there will be no new number. The main number for victim support will simply be operated at night and at weekends. This will make it easier for callers to make contact.
Anyone who calls Victim Support outside office hours should receive initial basic advice on victim issues and topics. It is the responsibility of Victim Support to ensure that the volunteers of the Dargebotene Hand have sufficient information and knowledge to offer this basic advice competently.
Clear processes
People who need support at night or at the weekend can be picked up immediately. This means that they feel understood and empowered. The volunteers also have the task of referring the caller to Victim Support. The process for transferring calls to Victim Support is defined. The person concerned is contacted by victim support specialists on the next working day, invited to a consultation and given advice and, if necessary, financial support in the interests of victim support.
To ensure the quality of the volunteers’ work, this cooperation must be practiced and coordinated. Callers should be able to build trust. This requires the service to be perceived as a single unit, even outside office hours: Basic counseling at the Dargebotene Hand, initial counseling and follow-up counseling at Victim Support. This requires efficient interfaces between the Dargebotene Hand and victim support.
Referrals in emergency situations
Sometimes people call in an emergency situation. A decision must then be made quickly on the phone. In such cases – always with the consent of the person calling – the call is transferred to an emergency institution or shelter. Such acute situations are a new service, as victim support was not previously an acute contact point. People who do not have the confidence to call a blue-light organization in an emergency can thus be supported.
Training, coaching, controlling
The collaboration with Dargebotene Hand will be very intensive in the first few months. It will involve training, support, coaching and controlling. This is a very exciting process. From the point of view of victim support, it is important that the volunteers feel confident and ready to take the calls. They can count on their experience: They are very competent at listening, reassuring and stabilizing. These skills are also key when it comes to calls about victim issues. Victim Support greatly appreciates the cooperation with the Dargebotene Hand. The start of this collaboration has been a success. Learning something new together, walking an unknown path together, doing meaningful work together: this motivates and strengthens.
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At night and at weekends, the number is operated by Dargebotene Hand beider Basel.
The Dargebotene Hand provides basic counseling and, if necessary, refers the victim to the day service for counseling.
Victim Support beider Basel is available 24/7
Tel: +41 61 205 09 10
