Scotland’s Redress Scheme: contributor list

Barnardo's

Barnardo’s, a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 00061625 (and registered as a charity in England and Wales with charity number 216250 and in Scotland with charity number SC037605) and having its registered office at:
Barnardo House
Tanners Lane
Barkingside
Ilford
Essex
IG6 1QG

Date added to contributor list

8 December 2021

Date removed from contributor list (if relevant): N/A
Removal with retrospective effect (yes/no): N/A

Commitment made

Pay agreed proportion of all determined cases where relevant as a place of abuse up to the maximum agreed figure of £1,250,000.

Acknowledgment letter

Thomas Barnardo started to provide residential care for children as far back as the 1860s in London. The substantive provision of care for Scottish Children commenced in the 1940s when some children were evacuated in wartime from England to Scotland. From the outset and throughout our history it has been the mission of Barnardo’s to provide good quality, compassionate and safe care to the children we look after. We recognise that many of the children who have been in our care in the past and are in our care now have experienced challenging circumstances that make it even more important that our care is characterised by the very highest standards of compassion and safeguarding.

While it was always our intention to provide safe care, we must acknowledge that some of the children in our care and some adults who were children in our care have made allegations of abuse and harm and that those allegations have been substantiated. We are truly sorry for any pain or hurt that children suffered whilst in our care and for any failure on our part.

We acknowledge that the organisational failures at that time led to the abuse of some children living with us and created a climate of fear and insecurity when they should have felt nurtured and safe.

We have used what those who have reported abuse have told us to continue improving how we engage and train staff and how we monitor and evaluate the work we undertake to ensure that our support of children, young people and families is based on their needs, promotes their wellbeing and helps them aspire to and reach their potential.

Today we do have residential care as an option for some children. Our homes are small, and our staff are qualified to work with children. They are all subject to robust recruitment and selection processes, reference checking and extensive vetting prior to having any contact with children. Our staff receive a comprehensive induction, support, supervision and continuous personal development throughout their employment with us.

We have a child centred and age appropriate complaints system in all our Services to ensure that the children in our care can safely raise issues, that these are properly recorded from their viewpoint and that appropriate action is taken. We work very hard to ensure that children have a real voice and influence in the care they receive and the Services we provide. We have comprehensive Safeguarding Policies and robust Procedures.

On behalf of Barnardo’s Scotland

Richard Simpson
Head of Safeguarding and Quality
December 2021