Our impact National Redress Scheme National Redress Scheme and Cafs Wendy Sturgess, Chief Executive Officer of Cafs, is pleased to announce that Cafs Board has made the decision in December 2018 to join the National Redress Scheme. This means that people who were abused in the care of the Ballarat Orphanage and Ballarat Children’s Home can apply to the Scheme for redress. The National Redress Scheme commenced in July 2018 and will operate for 10 years. It has been introduced in response to recommendations by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Redress is an alternative to seeking compensation through the courts. The National Redress Scheme can provide three things: Access to counselling A payment and A direct personal response from the institution (apology) for people who want it. The National Redress Scheme supports you seeking information by providing the attached fact sheets: Overview Who can apply What you can apply for Get free help to apply Application process Filling in the application How your application is considered Responding to an offer or asking for a review Using and protecting your information Institutional child sexual abuse myGov Free and confidential Redress Support Services are available throughout the process. They will assist in explaining how the Scheme works and who can apply. Direct Personal Response Cafs believes; ‘There is no greater agony than bearing the burden of an untold story inside you” To this extent, Cafs would like to give survivors an opportunity to speak to their experiences, to be heard, understood and believed. This can be in one of the following forms: A face to face meeting, in which the survivor meets with a senior member of the organisation A written apology Any other method agreed with the survivor and Cafs For further information about participating in a “Direct Personal Response’ please call the CEO office on 5337 3321 For further information about the National Redress Scheme please go to: https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/ or call the National Redress Scheme line on 1800 737 377.