As always, I want to start my update by thanking victims and survivors – individuals, survivor representative groups and their leaders – as well as the families of victims and survivors who have continued to engage with my Office over the past few months.
In this update, I will provide an overview of the work of my Office over the past few months and highlight some important information for victims and survivors.
Raising Awareness of Entitlements
In the run up to the closure of the financial redress compensation scheme, my Office engaged in its third awareness raising initiative, focusing on Northern Ireland, Britain and Ireland, to try to reach as many victims and survivors as possible before the Redress Scheme ended on 2 April to raise awareness of supports, services and entitlements.
We sent 770 packs to voluntary and statutory agencies and organisations as well as politicians in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, to raise awareness of the closure of the scheme in order to advise survivors of their entitlements.
I am very conscious of the need to ensure that specialist services continue to be publicised. To this end, my Office will continue to promote services through our social media channels and website to help raise engagement and to encourage individuals to come forward to access support and services that they are entitled to.
My Office saw an increase in engagement from victims and survivors over this period and I hope that we can continue to reach as many victims and survivors as possible.
Consultation on supports and services to victims and survivors of non-recent/historical institutional childhood abuse
In my last update I spoke about my Office’s consultation on supports and services. Over the past few months, I have been extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with a broad range of survivors on a number of occasions, to talk with them about the initial outcomes of our consultation on services to victims and survivors. This consultation has brought together the voices of victims and survivors who have told us about their experiences of supports and services and what they would like from services going forward. I really appreciated having the opportunity to share the information gathered with victims and survivors. These valuable findings will be published in a report by my Office in the coming months, and my hope is that it will be helpful in continuing important conversations with service providers about current needs, future concerns and how victims and survivors can be best supported going forward. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues at Wave, VSS and Advice NI for joining us at these important meetings where we shared the initial findings of the consultation. I look forward to sharing more information with you in my next update.
Advisory Panel
I am pleased to be able to give an important update on the Commissioner’s Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel has commenced work which is focusing on the needs of victims and survivors in relation to services and supports – now and in the future. This will be a valuable addition to the work that my Office has engaged in on services, both general and specialist. We are grateful to members of the Advisory Panel for their time to date and for sharing insights and lived experiences, which will prove invaluable as my Office continues its work on providing advice on services and supports for victims and survivors.
End of Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Scheme: 2 April 2025
I would like again to take this opportunity to acknowledge the strength, courage and resilience of victims and survivors of non-recent/historical institutional child abuse, particularly now that we have reached the end of the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Scheme, which closed to all applications on 2 April 2025.
The Redress Scheme was established to provide compensation to those who experienced abuse as children, while resident in institutions in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995.
During the Spring, and in the run up to the closure of the scheme, my Office engaged in an awareness raising initiative (see above), in a further attempt to reach as many victims and survivors as possible to make them aware of their rights and entitlements to redress compensation and ongoing supports and specialist services. We also supported The Executive Office’s efforts to raise awareness of the scheme.
I am pleased to advise that during March 2025 alone, the Redress Board received nearly 400 applications for compensation before the closing date of 2 April 2025.
Seeking support
I would like to encourage anyone who is eligible for supports and services to contact my Office if they would like more information. I would also like to reassure victims and survivors that even though the Redress Scheme closed on 2 April, specialist services are continuing. I want victims and survivors to know that services and supports are available to them. My Office would be delighted to hear from you.
You can contact us on:
Telephone: 028 9054 4985
Email: info@cosica-ni.org
Fiona Ryan
Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse