20/03/2024
The Church of England has appointed Kennedys Law to develop further and manage its National Redress Scheme for victims and survivors of Church-related abuse.
The appointment was made after a thorough and rigorous process that actively involved survivor representatives at every stage.
The Chair of the Redress Project Board, Bishop Philip Mounstephen, says: “As we move steadily towards the Scheme going live, the appointment of Kennedys Law as the Scheme Administrator is a significant step towards our goal of offering redress to survivors and victims of Church-related abuse.
“I want to thank all those who were involved in the process to appoint Kennedys. I am confident that their expertise and knowledge will be valuable to us as we work together to develop a scheme that is survivor-centred and which treats people respectfully, consistently and fairly.”
Survivor involvement
Members of the Redress Survivor Working Group, a group established to help the Church in the design of the Scheme, were part of the selection panel which considered applications from a strong list of candidate firms.
The panel, which also included members of the Redress Project Team and subject experts from the wider Church, was unanimous in its decision to appoint Kennedys as the preferred firm.
An anonymous member of the Redress Survivor Working Group says: "Victims and survivors worked extremely closely with the Redress Project Team to assess several very strong bids and interview the firms bidding to run the Scheme. After a lengthy and thorough process, the survivor representatives and the Project Team agreed that Kennedys is the most suitable firm to administer the Scheme. We are confident that they have the necessary experience and expertise and will be able to gain the confidence and trust of survivors."
“They were particularly impressive during the interview phase, demonstrating a clear desire to put survivors at the heart of the Scheme's design. The Survivor Working Group is looking forward to working closely with Kennedys. Together, they will develop a truly survivor-centred scheme that will help survivors of abuse in the Church repair their lives, receive recognition and apologies, as well as financial redress."
Helen Snowball, who leads Kennedys’ specialist team, says: “Working with the Redress Survivor Working Group, and the Church, we are committed to designing a process with survivors at its core. Our team has been trained in the importance of responding well to survivors and victims in the most sensitive manner and will ensure that victims and survivors applying to the Scheme are offered redress that is fair and proper."
Next steps
The Redress Project Team and Board, assisted by the Redress Survivor Working Group and Kennedys Law, will finalise the Scheme design over the course of 2024. An outreach campaign will precede the launch of the Scheme with the aim of encouraging survivors and victims of Church-related abuse to consider applying for redress. Once operational, Kennedys will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Scheme on behalf of the Church.
The Redress Project Board has committed to being as transparent as possible about the Redress Scheme to help victims and survivors fully understand how it will operate once it has launched.
The purpose of the Church of England’s National Redress Scheme is to demonstrate in tangible and practical ways that the Church is truly sorry for its past failings relating to safeguarding and to help victims and survivors move towards rebuilding their lives.
It will offer eligible survivors and victims of Church-related abuse financial awards, as well as other forms of redress including apologies, acknowledgement of wrongdoing, and access to therapeutic and emotional support.
When it opens, anyone who has experienced abuse perpetrated by someone representing the Church of England will be able to apply to the National Redress Scheme. This will include physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse (including spiritual abuse).
All applications to the Scheme will be treated fairly and consistently regardless of when or where the abuse occurred.
More information and support
More information about the Redress Scheme, including Frequently Asked Questions, can be found at churchofengland.org/redress.
If you need access to support, please contact the Safe Spaces helpline by calling 0300 303 1056 or by visiting this Church of England webpage, where external support services are listed, including listening, advice, and counselling services.