Anne Warren
Anne has more than 35 years’ experience working in the voluntary and not for profit sector, 15 years in international development and 20 years in criminal justice.
As Campaign Manager for Oxfam in Eastern England, Anne acted as their spokesperson on single and geopolitical issues. She travelled widely in this role including in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, India and the West Bank and Gaza. She joined Voluntary Service Overseas in 1992 as Field Director in Central America working with governments to bring in UK professionals to support local organisations and build capacity. She then joined Victim Support London as CEO in 1997 where she worked for 11 years and was a member of the London Criminal Justice Board and sat on a number of advisory boards providing a voice for victims and witnesses within the criminal justice sector in London.
In 2008 when the 77 Victim Support organisations became a single charity, Anne was appointed Head of Service Development and led on the development of policy and procedure for the Witness Service in England and Wales. In 2009/10 she led on the establishment of the national homicide service in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and criminal justice agencies.
In 2013 Anne set up WKM Solutions (prior to converting it to a community interest company – Supporting Justice a year later) with one of her Associates, David Kenyon. WKM Solutions was commissioned by the Commission for Victims and Survivors to review services for victims and survivors of the conflict/troubles in Northern Ireland. The Commission for Victims and Survivors in Northern Ireland (CVSNI) and the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly accepted the report in full and began implementing all the report recommendations. WKM were subsequently commissioned to monitor progress against their recommendations and to develop a new victims and survivors’ need’s assessment process. This work has helped significantly improve services for victims and survivors in Northern Ireland.
Following the successful bid by Citizens Advice to run the national Witness Service in 2015, they contracted Supporting Justice as their subject matter experts for the redesign and development of the service. That two year contract was extended to a third year and then a fourth year and Supporting Justice continues to contribute their subject matter expertise.
In 2016/17 Anne and her team developed two new, long overdue services for victims. The Victims Choice website and the Quality Mark. both of which have the potential to vastly improve services and choice for victims and others affected by crime. Both these initiatives are continuing to attract positive attention and comments across the criminal justice sector.
Anne has also developed relationships with DG Justice and various EU member states with a view to supporting their ambitions re: the EU Directive on Victims’ Rights. She is also actively engaged with, and Supporting Justice is an Associate member of, VS Europe.