# data[].attributes.headline
Hear from one of our first year CFP students - Maya Dunbar

# data[].attributes.subject
Hear from one of our first year CFP students - Maya Dunbar

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bolton.ac.uk/course/PSY003-F-UOB-SX

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Course Details

Studying in our well-respected, vibrant learning and research culture, the University of Bolton’s BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology degree gives you the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of offending behaviour from the perspectives of both offender and victim. This course was awarded the 2017 Award for Innovation in Psychology Programmes by the British Psychological Society*, demonstrating our commitment to bringing criminological and forensic psychology to life away from the classroom by offering you an array of innovative and practical learning opportunities.

Our supportive and experienced team will help you gain a strong foundation in the theories and practice of psychology, focusing on forensic theories including aggression, sexual offending, terrorism and delinquent behaviour. We’ll also lead you in an exploration of legal and court psychology, including interviewing techniques used by the police and issues around court testimony.

The course can lead to a range of careers including the prison service, health, police, probation service, victim support and services targeting families of offenders or victims, or on to further study. Accredited by the British Psychological Society, the course enables you, on achievement of the required grade, to progress to further professional qualifications and employment as a registered psychologist.

* https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/university-bolton-receive-psychology-programme-award accessed on 1 October 2018

Highlights

Our Psychology courses are ranked top 10 in the UK and first in Greater Manchester for student satisfaction for the fourth year running, according to the Complete University Guide 2022.

Also, The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 ranks our Criminology courses first in the North West of England for teaching quality and student experience for the second year running.

This course is one of only a few Criminological and Forensic Psychology degrees in the country accredited by the British Psychological Society. Accredited as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC), this degree is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

The University of Bolton has invested in the creation of a learning environment that offers innovative methods of teaching and assessment using top-class facilities, such as our observation and psychophysiology laboratories.

We work hard to ensure the course evolves in response to current issues in psychology. For example, our curriculum includes up-to-date teaching around the themes of honour-based violence and terrorism.

Course content is delivered by our highly-qualified staff who have substantial experience in the field. By offering personal supervision throughout the course we aim to give you the best possible opportunity to achieve your true potential.

We’ll encourage you to complete the British Psychological Society accredited Occupational Testing Level A Certificate, which is highly recommended for a career in this field.

Key Features

You’ll explore the theories and principles of forensic psychology and how these are applied in legal and other offender settings. You’ll also discuss the social and psychological context of offending and examine methods for collating, assessing, and analysing data.

To help you learn how psychological theories are applied to the activities of psychology staff when they’re working with offenders or victims of crime, you’ll have the chance to take part in a variety of workshops where you can practise and receive feedback on core skills.

Your personal tutor will be on hand to support you throughout your degree; one of our team of helpful and approachable psychology staff with a diverse range of research interests and professional experience.

We focus strongly on employability skills and the practical application of your studies as well as academic success. Workshops include leading group therapy and conducting a risk assessment with opportunities for placements in a relevant work setting.

The applied nature of criminological and forensic psychology is stressed throughout the course and you’ll carry out a criminal justice-related work placement in your final year.

Professional recognition

Successful completion of the degree course is approved as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society, provided the minimum standard of qualification of second class honours is achieved.

The British Psychological Society is the professional body for psychologists.

112 UCAS points. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points.

Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.

You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics.

You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.

If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

The University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology degree will support you in developing a deep understanding of how psychology can be applied to explain certain aspects of crime and criminal behaviour.

When you successfully complete the course, you'll be able to demonstrate graduate skills such as analysing complex information and data, investigating problems and formulating plans to solve them. You'll also possess skills in deductive reasoning, conducting research independently, reflection, producing and presenting information accurately, and understanding social and legal issues.

What can I do with this qualification?

By undertaking this qualification, you'll have the opportunity to develop a broad range of skills relevant to careers such as work in prisons and secure units, the police force, specialist hospitals, court systems, forensic services, immigration, education and private practice. This course's scientific and research elements also support roles in research and academia.

Psychology graduates with British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation can also progress onto professional qualifications in applied psychology. Studying applied criminology and forensic psychology at the postgraduate level will allow you to develop a range of analytical and practical skills benefitting you as a practitioner or researcher.

Our BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology graduates can also progress to graduate schemes. These are long term employment contracts, usually with a large corporate company offering advanced training packages.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. They include:

Youth justice

Mental health

Probation

Child protection

Crime reduction

Social work

Family support and mediation

Counselling

Nursing

Advice work

Training

Market research

Careers advice and guidance

Human resources

Retail management

Course fees

Home Fees | Year of study | Total
Entry year | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26
2022 | £9,250 | £9,250 | £9,250 | - | £27,750

International | Year of study | Total
Entry year | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26
2022 | £12,950 | £12,950 | £12,950 | - | £38,850

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2021-2022 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for ‘Home’ fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for ‘Home’ fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance eligibility 2021-2022 policy on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student’s course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

For 2021-2022 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2021-2022 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS

You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £26.50. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22 is applicable.

The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.

You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:

Institution Code Name: BOLTN

Institution Code Number: B44

Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com

If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly

If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.

A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:

Free of charge to apply

Secure, simple and streamlined

Contact us directly for any admissions queries

Regular updates on your application directly from the University

Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life

NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.

For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role

Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Criminological & Forensic Psychology - 19 September 2022

The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.

How you apply is determined by your current location and what you are choosing to study:

1. Apply direct to the University. Links for the next available intakes of this course are shown below. Please click the link which will direct you to the online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this.

2. Apply via one of our approved in-country referral partners. A list of our partners may be found on the International pages of this website.

3. Apply via UCAS for courses starting in September only – visit www.ucas.com.

Should you have any queries please contact the International Team on +44 (0) 1204 903110 or email international@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Criminological & Forensic Psychology - 19 September 2022 (Intake not currently accepting international applications)

University of Bolton Group Partners

Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton

For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.

If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.

When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.

NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.

For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.

If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.

Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.

If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.

Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies

Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role

Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton BSc(Hons) Criminological & Forensic Psychology - 19 September 2022

We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

The overall teaching and learning strategy for Criminological and Forensic Psychology is student-centred. We use a blended approach meaning you’ll have face-to-face sessions, sometimes one-to-one, and take part in online learning. You can expect a mix of seminars, lectures and tutorials, practical workshop demonstrations, critiques, study visits, self-directed study, IT and library sessions, and guided study. The University’s e-learning portal Moodle will support your online learning and provides a convenient way for you to communicate with fellow students who are studying the same modules. We’ll also encourage you to use the internet for research.

Guest lectures and presentations by a variety of visiting speakers from relevant employment areas offer you the chance to further develop your knowledge and understanding.

Our assessment strategy is designed to help you organise and develop your learning as well as evaluate your achievements. You can expect time-constrained exams, as well as coursework, such as essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, and others. These contribute to your module marks and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes. Much of your assessed work is submitted online via Moodle with feedback also given through this portal.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology

Understanding the Person

Cognitive and Biopsychological Perspectives

Contemporary Issues in Psychology

Application of Psychology

Psychology and Crime

Research Methods in Psychology

Social and Critical Psychology

Personality and Developmental Psychology

Cognitive Psychology

Biopsychology

Psychology of Law and Justice

The Honours Project

Psychology of Loss and Trauma

Applied Experience

Applications in Forensic Psychology

Abnormal Psychology

Cyber Psychology and New Media

Psychology in the Workplace

Assessment methods

Level | Assesment method
Level one | Coursework 50%, Written exams 50%
Level two | Coursework 50%, Written exams 50%
Level three | Coursework 100%

Learning activities

Level | Learning activity
Level one | Guided independent study 67%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 33%
Level two | Guided independent study 76%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 24%
Level three | Guided independent study 73%, Placement/study abroad 5%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 22%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Interested in the psychological aspects of criminology and forensics? Our British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited Criminological and Forensic Psychology degree is a dynamic course that reflects contemporary approaches to offending behaviour. During the final year of this award-winning course…

# data[].attributes.headline
Our CFP course is accredited by the BPS!

# data[].attributes.subject
Our CFP course is accredited by the BPS!

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bps.org.uk/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
MSc. Foren Psy, MSc. FPCrim, BSc (Hons) Psy, BSc (Hons) ColChem, PGCert Exp Wit, P.G.C.E., GHR, Certified NLP Prac.

Currently, Sue is a Psychology lecturer based within the School of Education and Psychology, specialising in Forensic Psychology and Crime.

Sue started off her early career as a Research Chemist in industry, completing a Colour Chemistry degree at the University of Leeds. Whilst in industry, Sue worked on a number of development projects, many of which were subsequently patented.

Following this, Sue moved into the Education sector, specialising in Special Needs and eventually into teacher training where her passion for Psychology and mental health intensified and led her to develop her psychological skills further, completing her Masters in Forensic Psychology. From there, Sue spent a number of years working within a secure hospital setting, supporting offenders who had been detained under the Mental Health Act with a wide range of mental health conditions and diagnoses to help them reduce their risk of re-offending. Sue also developed and delivered psychological training to police forces across the country and more recently, provided mental health consultancy to a major public sector organisation to improve their effectiveness in working with people with mental health difficulties and ex-offenders.

Sue is an experienced and qualified educationalist, having many years' experience teaching at a variety of levels, including in Higher Education in the field of Forensic Psychology for several universities. Sue has also worked in education management, partnering with a range of universities to deliver collaborative projects and services as well as developing inclusive approaches particularly around SEMH.

At a strategic level, Sue has chaired or sat on various County Council Committees, Community Safety Partnerships and County Council Cabinet Working groups to develop policies to address crime related issues such as Early Help and Domestic Violence support/prevention.

Sue's research interests focuses on neuropsychological responses to trauma, effective therapeutic interventions for victims of crime, preventative approaches to offending and mechanisms to support the judicial process through improving the quality of evidence available.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MSc. Foren Psy, MSc. FPCrim, BSc (Hons) Psy, BSc (Hons) ColChem, PGCert Exp Wit, P.G.C.E., GHR, Certified NLP Prac. Currently, Sue is a Psychology lecturer based within the School of Education and Psychology, specialising in Forensic Psychology and Crime. Sue started off her early career as a Research Chemist in industry, completing a Colour Chemistry degree at the University of Leeds.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bolton.ac.uk/our-staff/prof-gill-brown/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I am a Chartered Psychologist and have held academic positions since 2008 in both research and lecturing posts. Prior to my academic career, I worked within the prison service (both male Category B and Category C prisons), providing psychological services to offenders and I held the position of Treatment Manager of an offending behaviour treatment programme. I also have experience working within youth offending services and alongside forensic community mental health teams.

I completed my PhD in 2012 at the University of Manchester which focused on the effectiveness of a joint crisis planning intervention for service users with severe mental illness, in reducing compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act. My main teaching commitments are within the BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology programme which I lead; this was awarded the national British Psychology Society Award for Innovation in Psychology programmes in 2018.

I was instrumental in developing a Memorandum of Understanding between Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the University of Bolton. Following this, I am working on research projects alongside GMP and working collaboratively to promote student opportunities for involvement in local restorative justice work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I am a Chartered Psychologist and have held academic positions since 2008 in both research and lecturing posts. Prior to my academic career, I worked within the prison service (both male Category B and Category C prisons), providing psychological services to offenders and I held the position of Treatment Manager of an offending behaviour treatment programme.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jan Start Induction information 18th Jan via Zoom

# data[].attributes.subject
Jan Start Induction information 18th Jan via Zoom

# data[].attributes.headline
Download our Prospectus for just some of the reasons to join us at Bolton...

# data[].attributes.subject
Download our Prospectus for just some of the reasons to join us at Bolton...

# data[].attributes.body
Top 5 in the UK for Student Satisfaction - 5th in the UK for Teaching Quality - A Supportive Learning Environment - Employment Focused

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bolton.ac.uk/our-staff/dr-tara-chandler/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tara is a Chartered Psychologist (DARPT) and has held academic positions in teaching and research from 2008. Currently, Tara lectures across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and supervises both MSc and BSc honours projects.

Tara completed her PhD in 2020 (Long-term associations of traditional school bullying) and is continuing research in the field. Tara's other research interests included: human-animal interaction, emotional intelligence and hierarchical societies. Tara's research is underpinned by progressive mixed methodology and social theory. Tara is published in qualitative, quantitative and mixed methodologies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tara is a Chartered Psychologist (DARPT) and has held academic positions in teaching and research from 2008. Currently, Tara lectures across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and supervises both MSc and BSc honours projects. Tara completed her PhD in 2020 (Long-term associations of traditional school bullying) and is continuing research in the field.

# data[].attributes.body
The University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology degree will support you in developing a deep understanding of how psychology can be applied to explain certain aspects of crime and criminal behaviour.

When you successfully complete the course, you'll be able to demonstrate graduate skills such as analysing complex information and data, investigating problems and formulating plans to solve them. You'll also possess skills in deductive reasoning, conducting research independently, reflection, producing and presenting information accurately, and understanding social and legal issues.

What can I do with this qualification?

By undertaking this qualification, you'll have the opportunity to develop a broad range of skills relevant to careers such as work in prisons and secure units, the police force, specialist hospitals, court systems, forensic services, immigration, education and private practice. This course's scientific and research elements also support roles in research and academia.

Psychology graduates with British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation can also progress onto professional qualifications in applied psychology. Studying applied criminology and forensic psychology at the postgraduate level will allow you to develop a range of analytical and practical skills benefitting you as a practitioner or researcher.

Our BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology graduates can also progress to graduate schemes. These are long term employment contracts, usually with a large corporate company offering advanced training packages.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. They include:

Youth justice

Mental health

Probation

Child protection

Crime reduction

Social work

Family support and mediation

Counselling

Nursing

Advice work

Training

Market research

Careers advice and guidance

Human resources

Retail management

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17659674.university-bolton-students-train-restorative-justice-volunteers/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
VICTIMS of crime are often left with many unanswered questions — "Why me?" "Why did you pick me" and "Do you know how you made me feel".

Yet the answers could be vital to helping empower the victims and help them move on.

Now University of Bolton students will be bringing criminals face to face with their victims in a pioneering new scheme with the police.

Saiqa Chaudhari reports

RESTORATIVE justice is where criminals meet their victims in person. It is designed to stop the criminals reoffending and to give the victim some sort of closure.

Nicola Williams, volunteer co-ordinator for the Greater Manchester Restorative Justice service, said the scheme commonly referred to as RJ was “tremendously effective” in many cases.

"It can really make a huge difference," she said, "One RJ case we facilitated was a pensioner whose garden was her pride and joy. It was trashed when she was asleep one night and she was so upset.

“A young man was arrested and following a referral from GMP we contacted the woman to see if she wanted to take part in the RJ programme."

READ MORE: Former prisoner tells of meeting his victim of crime

READ MORE: Victims of crime speak about coming face to face with the criminal

Nicola added: “He had not targeted it deliberately and was sorry for what he had done. He was desperate to apologise to the victim. He wanted to join the armed forces and if he had gone through the criminal justice system that would not have been possible.

Nicola added: “He agreed to repay all the damage and offered a genuine apology.

“The victim was very upset that he could have faced prosecution which would have potentially ruined his life. She explained she had a grandson of a similar age who she wouldn’t have wanted charged.

“She understood that here was a young lad who had made a mistake, wanted to apologise and could now get on with his life, as could she.”

Now students from the university's school of education and psychology have put themselves forward as volunteers for the Greater Manchester Restorative Justice Service — commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) — to deliver the scheme in their local communities. GMCA aims to launch the county-wide Restorative Justice service next month to ensure that every victim, no matter where they live in Greater Manchester, would receive the same high level of service.

It is the first university in the UK that has forged such a close working relationship with the police.

Restorative Justice (RJ) supports the victims of crime and offenders, so the two parties can come together.

Nicola's role is to train the volunteers who will then go out into their local communities to deliver RJ.

She said: “The victim is often very badly impacted – they feel ‘why me?’, ‘why was I targeted?’.

“RJ gives them the chance to ask questions, to understand why an offender did what they did and for that offender to say sorry and make amends, perhaps by offering their time to help make reparation for what they have done.”

The training sessions for students were held over three days.

Chloe Parr, aged 18, who is enrolled on a psychology foundation course and plans to start a Criminology and Forensic Psychology degree course in September, said: "The training has been really difficult, but it has taught us a lot.

"You have to have an understanding of why a person has behaved the way they have; that is really important. I’m now looking forward to getting out there and doing it."

Bjorn Shelton, aged 33, who is studying psychology, said: “This training has changed my mindset 100 per cent — I have learned a huge amount and it is good that I am giving something back."

Dr Gill Brown, Associate Teaching Professor in Psychology and Programme Lead BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology at the School of Education and Psychology at the University of Bolton, said: “This a unique opportunity for students.

“There is no other university in the country that has this sort of panel working with the police.

“The students get a great deal from it — they learn real skills to help with future employability, while at the same time giving something back to their local community.”

Nicola said: “RJ does not affect the offender’s sentence — this is not the easy option for the offender.

“The whole aim is to help the victim and to change the offender’s behaviour and we know from results that RJ does have a positive impact. Offenders have to confront the consequences of what they are responsible for.

“Every pound spent on RJ leads to £8 being saved on the criminal justice system.

“We monitor offenders and victims after RJ sessions and we often get feedback that behaviour has changed and victims feel empowered.”

Nicola added: “It is fantastic that the University of Bolton has partnered with us – this group have been the best group I have worked with so far. It is great for the students.

“They are able to give something back to the community, at the same time building transferable skills. Even the application process is challenging.

“They have to complete a form and then go through a rigorous interview process.

“I am hoping that we can train volunteers from the University of Bolton once a year. I would love to come back here.”

The service will go live on June 3.

Around 70-80 volunteers have been trained and will work alongside paid staff.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SPECIAL REPORT: Helping victims of crime by bringing them face to face with the criminals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
VICTIMS of crime are often left with many unanswered questions ­— “Why me?” “Why did you pick me” and “Do you know how…

# data[].attributes.headline
"Prison Psychologist Talk" delivered by our very own Professor Gill Brown!

# data[].attributes.subject
"Prison Psychologist Talk" delivered by our very own Professor Gill Brown!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
University of Bolton Department of Psychology