List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.109

The Committee recommends the establishment of a First Nations panel to provide specific advice to the National Redress Scheme on:

the design and implementation of cultural safety principles and practice; and

the development and implementation of an intensive education campaign across regional, rural, and remote communities to drive awareness and improve access to the National Redress Scheme for First Nations people.

Recommendation 2

2.140

The Committee recommends that formal evaluation of redress support services be established to ensure that the needs of survivors and their families are being met through professional and timely engagement.

Recommendation 3

2.141

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme engage additional redress support services in regional, rural and remote areas that offer face-to-face support.

Recommendation 4

2.142

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme consider expanding current funding arrangements to provide after hours and weekend specialist services.

Recommendation 5

3.25

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme produce public education materials to clearly explain and demonstrate how the assessment framework is applied to applications by Independent Decision Makers.

Recommendation 6

3.35

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme introduce annual mandatory training requirements for Independent Decision Makers and that the agreed minimum training requirements are published for survivors to understand.

Recommendation 7

3.36

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme implement an internal moderation and review process for all application determinations prior to being finalised.

Recommendation 8

3.44

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme amend current review processes to:

ensure that applications are only reviewed by senior Independent Decision Makers, and

allow for survivors to provide additional materials on matters raised by Independent Decision Makers.

Recommendation 9

3.52

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme eliminate the practice of indexing prior payments made to survivors.

Recommendation 10

3.53

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme commence indexing awards to an inflation measure.

Recommendation 11

3.61

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme consider amending the National Redress Scheme Rules so that the total financial award limit applies to each institution found responsible for institutional child sexual abuse, instead of each application.

Recommendation 12

3.79

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme undertake work with survivors and redress support services to determine appropriate alternative methods for the initiation of Direct Personal Responses and best practice guidelines.

Recommendation 13

3.91

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme undertake consultation to amend the application form as a matter of priority. The amended form should be designed for survivors who may have low levels of literacy and allow care leavers to self-identify.

Recommendation 14

3.92

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme commence a series of face-to-face education sessions across Australia targeting known under-represented groups and regions. All sessions should be run by senior National Redress Scheme employees and make provision for a question and answer component.

Recommendation 15

4.28

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme engage additional free legal services for survivors to access.

Recommendation 16

4.29

The Committee recommends that the National Redress Scheme identify and fund legal services that can provide face-to-face, culturally diverse and trauma informed legal advice across regional, rural, and remote centres.

Recommendation 17

4.30

The Committee recommends that the Minister’s Redress Scheme Governance Board prioritise preventing the exploitation of survivors by private law firms and works to immediately implement the following measures:

Make it unlawful for lawyers to charge contingency fees for services delivered with respect to National Redress Scheme applications;

Impose a legal obligation on lawyers to advise a potential client of the availability of free services (knowmore and the Redress Support Services), and to certify such advice has been provided, before executing a costs agreement for a National Redress Scheme application;

Considering a cap on fees that lawyers can charge for services delivered with respect to National Redress Scheme applications;

Make it an offence for any person to:

contact a person without their consent and solicit or induce them to make a National Redress Scheme application; or

give or receive any money or other benefit in exchange for a referral to make a National Redress Scheme application;

Establish a set of expected practice standards for lawyers and survivor advocates providing services with respect to National Redress Scheme applications; and

Establish a specific complaints process within the National Redress Scheme to deal with concerns about the conduct of lawyers and representatives from survivor advocacy businesses.

Recommendation 18

5.52

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government work with all Australian states and territories to examine child safety measures in relation to institutions that refuse to join the National Redress Scheme.

Recommendation 19

5.53

The Committee recommends that funder of last resort arrangements are expanded to ensure that survivors of institutions who are unable or unwilling to join the National Redress Scheme are able to receive all components of redress.

Recommendation 20

5.103

The Committee recommends that funder of last resort provisions be expanded to ensure that all survivors can access the National Redress Scheme if they wish to do so.

Recommendation 21

6.215

The Committee recommends that the future Parliament consider the establishment of a parliamentary committee to continue the work of providing oversight on the administration and operation of the National Redress Scheme.

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