Victim Support suffers 30% drop in volunteers

The charity, Victim Support, has lost more than 30 per cent of its volunteers in four years despite a large increase in its public funding. The National Audit Office said yesterday the number of volunteers dwindled from 10,180 in 1996-1997 to 6,970 in 2000-2001.

In a report, the NAO found 53 per cent of Victim Support local officers had difficulty recruiting volunteers. In February, 2000, a £500,000 drive brought in 2,500 new supporters. But that was more than offset by the number leaving.

The findings will trouble Home Office ministers who have repeatedly promised better services for victims of crime, in reforms of the criminal justice system. The NAO said the Government has increased its funding of Victim Support from £12.7m in 1997-1998 to £25m in 2001-2002.

It calls for the Home Office to "improve its oversight of Victim Support" and complains that the increased funding was awarded "without clearly specifying what performance improvements it expected to be provided in return".

The auditors also pointed out that "Victim Support has been the sole recipient of Home Office funding for the provision of services to victims and witnesses" and called for other potential providers to be allowed to bid to run services.

Sir John Bourn, the NAO comptroller and auditor general, said Victim Support volunteers delivered an invaluable service but the level of help varied from one local office to another. He said: "Only a tiny proportion of victims of unrecorded crime make use of Victim Support."

The NAO report said not all victims of crimes reported to the police were referred to Victim Support. The proportion of burglary victims put in contact with the charity ranged from 47 per cent to 75 per cent, depending on the area. Police referred 62 per cent of robbery victims to Victim Support.

Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said the service should be on a statutory footing to ensure victims receive the same help in every part of the country. He said: "[The report] shows the Home Office is providing major funding without a clear idea of how the money is spent."

The NAO said Victim Support had "no national strategy" for tackling the falling number of volunteers. It added: "Local groups are expected to respond to shortages in volunteers by undertaking volunteer recruitment drives, although Victim Support told us local groups may not have the resources to undertake such drives."

The report praised Tameside Victim Support's response after the revelation of the crimes of the serial murderer, Dr Harold Shipman. That showed local groups had an "ability to respond" to such extreme situations, the NAO said.

The charity was pleased the NAO recognised the dedication and professionalism of volunteers. It said: "We share the concerns about the difficulties of recruiting volunteers."