I have just started my new job as a policy manager for Victim Support with responsibility for criminal justice. In many ways this is a far cry from my work at the learning difficulties charity Values into Action. Previously, my work was focused on people with learning difficulties' experience of hate crime.

Now I have to get my head around and respond to developments across the criminal justice system that affect all people who have been victimised by all kinds of crime.

A main part of my work until now has been to point out how mainstream legislation and government policy, particularly in the arena of criminal justice, leaves people with learning difficulties out of the loop, further exacerbating experiences of isolation and marginalisation.

I will now need to ensure that I widen this focus to encompass the diversity of people that Victim Support works with and represents.

And my first impression is that there are important similarities between how people with learning difficulties and victims of crime may be treated by society. For example, people with learning difficulties constantly experience society's inability or sometimes downright refusal to respond to an impairment in a way that is not disabling.

Similarly, many victims experience secondary victimisation as a result of poor planning, communication or support from the criminal justice system. Lack of understanding from housing, health and social care agencies about the effects of crime on victims' everyday lives also contributes to experiences of secondary victimisation. In both cases, my job is to locate and argue for the support that might be needed for people to have full access to their rights whatever their position.

Part of being able to do this campaigning work involves learning about and implementing the necessary and complex consultation process that takes place in a large organisation such as Victim Support.

Another task I have is to write responses to consultations by the government about new criminal justice law and policy. Of course the authority for these responses can only come from the experiences and views of people who have been victims of crime, volunteers and staff who support them and colleagues at Victim Support's national office who support members and liaise with external agencies. My department can then communicate the organisation's views across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to the government about whether or not one of its policies will properly support people through their experience of crime and uphold their rights to choice and information.

If such a policy doesn't achieve these goals, our job is to explain why and how it could do this better.

Joanna Perry is policy manager, Victim Support