The Commonwealth Government has introduced, effective from 1 July 2018, the National Redress Scheme to provide redress to survivors of child sexual abuse up to a limit of $150,000 with counselling of $5,000 and a direct personal response. It will not cover claims for physical abuse alone. It will not incorporate any process that would promote settlement of all claims including civil liability claims for amounts over $150,000.
Kooyoora Ltd supports the National scheme as a valuable option available to survivors.
When Kooyoora is the operator of an institution’s complaints system, it can also help by providing information from the confidential complaints data for the institution’s response to applications for redress from that institution under the National Redress Scheme.
Factsheet – Protected Information for participating institutions
Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme
Kooyoora Ltd has established and will manage, as a further option available to survivors, the Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme. This scheme is particularly relevant to redress claims that may end up in civil litigation.
It provides the opportunity at the option of the survivor for negotiation and settlement as the first stage of the process of all claims including civil litigation claims. The Kooyoora Redress Manager manages that process independently and impartially by a survivor focused and trauma informed process.
If no settlement is reached, the Scheme gives a survivor options–
- to apply to the National Redress Scheme for determination of the application for redress if a respondent institution is a participating institution under that scheme;
- to consent to the referral of the application to the Scheme’s adjudicating body for determination under this scheme so far as each respondent institution is a participating institution; and
- to withdraw the application for redress under this scheme and seek other recourse.
Participating institutions are asked to follow defined model litigant principles.
Survivors and institutions interested in participating are invited to register their interest by contacting the Kooyoora Redress Manager and are referred to–
- Outline of Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme
- Terms of Reference of the scheme
- Model litigant principles
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne has joined the National Redress Scheme. The Diocese has also resolved to become a participating institution in the Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme in lieu of its interim scheme.
From July 2017, Kooyoora managed the interim scheme of the Diocese of Melbourne.