TASC National, a community legal, advocacy and social justice organisation which services Toowoomba, the Darling Downs and Maranoa has been announced as the Redress Support Service for people in the region seeking support to engage with the National Redress Scheme (the Scheme).
Redress Support Services offer free, confidential, practical and emotional support to people applying, or considering applying to the Scheme.
The Scheme is in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which estimated over 60,000 people in Australia have experienced such abuse.
TASC CEO, Frances Klaassen OAM said while the Scheme began on 1 July 2018, the recent announcement of TASC as a support service means engaging with the Scheme is now more accessible to the local community.
“The National Redress Scheme is an important step in gaining recognition, acknowledgement, support and healing for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse and in holding institutions accountable,” she said.
The Scheme can provide access to counselling, a Redress payment, and the option to receive a direct personal response, such as an apology, from the responsible institution.
Delving into deeply personal and emotionally sensitive issues can be confronting. TASC understands this and has a focus on meeting each individual applicant’s need around how they can be best supported through their application process.
“Through our work in the community we understand accessing schemes like Redress is often difficult both from an emotional perspective as well as having to navigate complex systems,” she said.
“Using a person-centred approach for clients engaging with the Redress Scheme, our case workers will be there to provide support, information and advice based on a person’s circumstances so they’re able to make informed choices about which areas of Redress to pursue.”
“Clients can also choose whether to pause or progress their application at any stage,” she said.
Ms Klaassen said the scope of institutional child sexual abuse uncovered by the Royal Commission means people engaging with the Scheme will come from a wide cross section of the community.
“If you believe you’re eligible or know someone who might be eligible for redress but are unsure I would encourage you to talk with us or to visit our website to find out more information.”
For more information about the Scheme, eligibility and support services visit tascnational.org.au/redress or nationalredress.gov.au .