Slachtofferhulp Nederland, or Victim Support Netherlands, provides practical, emotional and legal support for victims of traumatic experiences like crime, traffic accidents, disasters and calamities. It was one such crisis – COVID-19 – that threatened the viability of this service.

One of the most important facets of Victim Support Netherlands is its knowledge about victimisation and tools to support victims. Training is essential. But training staff and volunteers in the classroom was not possible once mandated stay-at-home orders were enacted, and the organisation’s outdated, on-premises Skype platform couldn’t handle large-scale virtual trainings. Victim Support Netherlands wanted a more modern solution that could handle a speedy transition to remote working so there would be no interruption in training its 1,600 employees to provide support and guidance during the health crisis.

To help with its workplace experience transformation, Victim Support Netherlands turned to Avanade. We helped the nonprofit rapidly set up and deploy Microsoft Teams so it could communicate with and conduct live virtual training events for staff and volunteers using the platform’s video and web conferencing features. The ability to support interactive Q&A sessions, provide recordings for post-event access and enable external presenters were critical requirements.

We did a test run of a live virtual training based on Microsoft Teams Live Events to make sure that the hardware and network could handle the requirements. And to encourage adoption, we created two employee manuals that explain how to plan, join and host a live event.

The Microsoft Teams platform was a smooth and successful workplace transition for Victim Support Netherlands.

• The organisation experienced no gaps in training and services, and it could continue providing support to trauma victims who, in turn, are comforted knowing they’re getting the most knowledgeable assistance.
• Users gave positive feedback and appreciated the added benefit of being able to follow the training and keeping in close virtual contact with the trainer.
• With a connected workplace experience, Victim Support Netherlands has opened a world of possibilities for the future of its organisation. This includes saving time and effort arranging trainings in limited spaces for multiple groups and enabling its teams to be more effective.

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