Scotland’s Redress Scheme: contributor list

The Royal Blind Asylum and School Edinburgh, known as Sight Scotland

Sight Scotland, a statutory corporation established by Royal Charter (registered as a charity in Scotland with charity number SC017167) and having its principal office at: 
2A Robertson Avenue
Edinburgh
EH11 1PZ.

Date added to contributor list

31 May 2022

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 where abuse took place.

Acknowledgment letter

I am writing to confirm that the Board of Sight Scotland has agreed to our participation in the Redress Scotland scheme which is now operational following your statement in parliament on 8 December 2021.

We recognise the importance of the establishment of Redress Scotland to acknowledge and provide reparation for the damage caused by historic child abuse for survivors. We understand the importance of the role survivors of abuse have themselves played in making the case for this scheme to be established. We welcome their involvement in developing the proposals which have been brought into effect by the Redress for Survivors (Historical Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021.

We wish to play our role in acknowledging, as a country, the damage caused by historic abuse in Scotland and in apologising for failing to ensure every young person in care was protected from abuse and the suffering it has caused.

We were very saddened to learn in September 2018 that the Royal Blind School had been added to the list of organisations which were the focus of investigation by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. We stated then that we would fully cooperate with the process of the Inquiry. We will take the same approach of openness and engagement with Redress Scotland. This reflects our recognition of the importance of safeguarding in our services today and the ethos we have established in current service provision which respects the rights and dignity of everyone we support.

We also understand that the emphasis we place on safeguarding today cannot undo the damage caused to anyone who has been the victim of historic abuse. We wish to offer heartfelt and unreserved apologies for anyone who suffered abuse while in the care of the Royal Blind School. We will publish on our website this statement acknowledging the wrongfulness of, and the harm caused by historical child abuse, in accordance with the provisions of membership of the scheme.

Craig Spalding
Chief Executive