I was at home in bed, when I heard a noise coming from downstairs. I went down to see what was happening and was shocked to find a stranger in my house. I was assaulted by the burglar and knocked unconscious; when I woke up I realised they had stolen many of personal belongings.

I rung the Police straight away to report what had happened and they told me that a referral would be made to South Wales Victim Focus. Claire, a volunteer from South Wales Victim Focus came to visit me at my home. Claire was understanding and listened when I discussed how I was feeling since the incident. They explained to me all the different ways they could help.

Claire spoke to the police and other professionals on my behalf as I didn’t feel confident to do this. One of the first things she did was to work with the police to make sure my home was secure. This really helped me start to feel safe again. Claire worked with my GP to make sure I had the correct medical care to treat my injuries and could attend appointments. The police found and took action against the person that broke into my home. I had never been to court before but South Wales Victim Focus helped me to understand what would happen and what I would need to do. They worked with the court and the police so that I could give my statement on a video screen. This meant I didn’t have to sit in the court room and it really helped me feel safe and confident to give my evidence.

After the court case, Claire helped me complete a Criminal Injuries Compensation Application which I would not have been able to do by myself as I struggle at time to hold a pen and understand forms. It is one year on now and South Wales Victim Focus are still supporting me to fully recover from what happened. Just knowing they are there to listen has made a huge difference in coping with what happened to me.