Photo of the 116006 working group at the VSE office
Victim Support Europe continues to support organisations in putting Minimum Standards for 116 006 Helplines into practice and strengthening the quality of support available to victims across Europe. Through the Centre of Excellence for 116 006 and Distance Support, which brings together more than 20 organisations, members exchange experiences, discuss common challenges and share good practices to improve the implementation of the helpline in their respective countries.
A key focus this year is developing the Guidelines for the Practical Implementation of the 116 006 Standards, including a self-assessment and compliance checklist. These practical tools aim to help organisations understand how to apply the Standards, assess their current practices and identify areas for improvement. By working together, we can ensure the guidelines reflect the experiences and needs of the organisations operating the helpline across Europe.
On 23–24 September, we welcomed members of the Working Group 116 006 for an in-person meeting in our main office in Brussels dedicated to advancing the draft guidelines. The group worked collaboratively on the text, sharing expertise and discussing how best to translate the Standards into practical guidance for helpline services. Alongside these working sessions, members joined our Communications team to record several awareness-raising campaigns highlighting the 116 006 helpline and its role in supporting victims. The visit also included a group dinner, offering everyone an opportunity to connect, exchange experiences and strengthen relationships beyond the formal meetings.
The meeting was attended by:
- •Steen Thykjaer (Offerrådgivningen i Danmark) – Denmark
- •Maatu Arkio-Lempinen (Rikosuhripaivystys (RIKU)) – Finland
- •Hailey Halpin (Crime Victims Helpline)
- •Carolina Soares (APAV – Portuguese Association for Victim Support)
The next step will be the Centre of Excellence’s annual in-person meeting, taking place from 4–6 November in Vienna, Austria. The working group aims to circulate the draft guidelines to the wider membership ahead of the meeting, where participants will have the opportunity to discuss the draft and provide feedback. This input will help ensure the final guidelines are relevant and useful across different national contexts, with the aim of finalising them by the end of the year.
