Scotland's Redress Scheme: combined annual report 2023

6.2 Barnardo’s

Background

Barnardo’s joined the Scottish Redress in December 2021 following extensive engagement and negotiation with the Scottish Government, including a schedule of payments. As part of joining the scheme we submitted an acknowledgement of non-recent abuse in our care and committed to an annual statement of our Redress Activity outside of the financial contribution to the Scheme. This statement constitutes the annual statement for 2022 of that Activity.

Access to Records

An important aspect of Redress is ensuring that those that we previously cared for, can access the records that we hold about them. This serves to help people understand their own history. It is also a vital part of any applicant to the Redress Scheme being able to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for Redress. We have since the start of the Redress Scheme prioritised applicants in confirming those matters, such as dates of care, etc., for applicants to the Redress Scheme to ensure a prompt response.

Barnardo’s has a long history of operating an excellent Access to Records Service that provides records in a trauma-informed and sensitive manner. Our approach appreciates and respects that the children we formerly cared for who are now adults find that the records contain both things they did not expect to find in the records, such as descriptions and accounts containing language that could be seen as judgemental, harsh or even offensive by modern standards but also does not contain things important to them, such as accounts of abuse they suffered. The Access to Records Service includes working within a recently updated non-recent abuse policy, that includes procedures around reporting such abuse to the Police and cooperating with any subsequent investigation.

The long term secure storage, retrieval and sharing of the records of children formerly looked after by Barnardo’s continues to be a key priority for Barnardo’s and the Organisation which amounts to a significant ongoing investment by the Organisation.

Funding for Emotional, Psychological or Practical Support

Our Making Connections Service in addition to continuing to facilitate access to Care Records, offers emotional and psychological support to our former looked after children, particularly where there has been instances of abuse or alleged abuse. We also, from time to time, offer practical assistance such as helping secure Birth Certificates, help with travel, supporting reunions, publishing a Newsletter to our ‘Old Boys’ and ‘Old Girls’ and so on.

Advice and assistance on tracing and reuniting families

We are always ready to offer advice and assistance on the tracing and reuniting of families; this is done in a trauma-informed manner and one that is respectful of the sometimes challenging and difficult circumstances that led to the initial estrangement and the circumstances that exist at the present time.

Redress Apology Letters

From the outset we have committed ourselves to writing individual letters of apology to go alongside Redress Payments. To date we have completed all requests received and stand ready to write further letters if applicants would find this helpful.

Other Assistance

While we have a long history of supporting the children-now-adults that we cared for, we are always ready to learn and respond flexibly or differently to those who contact us.

Involvement with the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry

Barnardo’s has engaged very positively with the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry to date; contributing to three Case Studies: the Quarriers/Aberlour/Barnardo’s study, the Migration study and in the past year, the Fostering study. Our involvement in the Inquiry has been noted very favourably by Lady Smith and her legal team, where in the past year alone we have provided:

1. An updated statement of our involvement in Fostering from 1940 to the present day, including details of alleged and actual abuse

2. Extensive records of former children and other matters as requested by the Inquiry

3. Clarification reports on matters raised by the Inquiry

4. Appearance by Richard Simpson, Head of Safeguarding and Quality and Brenda Farrell, Head of Family Placement at the Inquiry which included an apology for any abuse suffered in our care

5. A Closing Summary at the conclusion of the Hearings that addressed some of the matters that were covered in our Statements and Appearances.

Conclusion

It is our belief that we have and continue to face up to our past as outlined above, while also taking the view that the very best response to the abuse of the past, is to do our utmost to provide the very safest care we can in the present and the future.