Independent Redress Scheme

A person in a tan coat holds an open binder with papers, while another person looks at their phone in an outdoor setting with blurred background.

Supporting people through the redress process is an important part of Kooyoora's work.

Redress provides an opportunity for survivors of institutional abuse to seek acknowledgement, support and justice, while helping institutions take responsibility for past harms.

Through the Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme, we provide an independent, survivor-centred and trauma-informed process that supports people to share their experiences in a safe and respectful environment. Our approach is guided by fairness, transparency and a commitment to ensuring every person is treated with dignity and care.

Kooyoora has extensive experience supporting survivors and participating institutions across redress processes in Australia and New Zealand, helping people navigate complex matters with compassion, independence and respect.

Redress is also one of Kooyoora’s professional standards functions. This includes managing applicable redress processes independently for participating dioceses and institutions.

What is redress?

The Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme was established in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It provides an independent pathway for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse to seek recognition of the harm they experienced and accountability from participating institutions.

Redress can help survivors feel heard, acknowledge the harm they experienced and support institutions to take responsibility. It may also provide access to support that contributes to healing and recovery.

Kooyoora manages the scheme independently, with each application assessed fairly and considered according to its individual circumstances.

Who can apply?

A person may be eligible to apply if:

they experienced sexual abuse when they were under 18
the abuse occurred in connection with a participating institution
the abuse took place before 1 July 2018

How does the redress process work?

Kooyoora’s Redress Manager guides applicants through the process and provides clear information about what to expect.

The process may include:

an initial discussion about the application and available options
an opportunity for the applicant to share their experience
inquiries and searches for relevant records
contact with the participating institution
consideration of appropriate redress outcomes
support to understand and respond to any offer made

Applicants may choose to involve a support person or legal representative at any stage of the process.

Forms of redress

Depending on the circumstances, support and redress may include:

a personal response from the participating institution
a financial payment
access to counselling and psychological support
wellbeing coordination, including referrals to appropriate health professionals and support services
reimbursement of reasonable legal costs

The support and redress offered will reflect the circumstances of each application and the outcomes that are most meaningful to the applicant.

Redress Options

Applicants can choose to:

accept an offer made through the Kooyoora Independent Redress Scheme
seek further negotiation before deciding whether to accept an offer
apply to the National Redress Scheme if the participating institution is part of that scheme
withdraw their application and explore other options for redress, including civil litigation

Applicants are encouraged to seek independent legal advice before deciding which option is right for them.

Learn more about Kooyoora’s redress work

Kooyoora supports survivors across a range of redress pathways in Australia and New Zealand. Our broader redress work includes assistance with applications, records searches, wellbeing referrals, legal and procedural correspondence, and non-financial redress outcomes.

Read the article Redress Services: A Key Part of Kooyoora’s Work