National Confidential Forum and Providers’ Guidance: meeting the needs of survivors and other former residents. 1

Overview 1.Introduction and background 2.The guidance: key points 3.Challenges and opportunities 2

Background: where did the guidance come from? Victims and Witnesses (S) Bill, Health and Sport Committee, 3 rd report 2013 recommendation 12: ‘… to explore the links between the NCF and care providers’ NCF duty to signpost 3

The Forum and providers: bridging the gap 4 NCF Providers

The providers’ guidance working group Membership: Scottish Government Third sector providers Survivor support organisations (In Care Survivors Service Scotland) CELCIS Scottish Churches Social Work Scotland Former Boys and Girls of Quarriers Abused Consultation with Aberlour, Children First, Action for Children, Barnardos, Quarriers 5

Definitions Providers: former and current social care and health Survivors and other former residents Historical abuse: defined in guidance 6

The guidance: responding to survivors and other former residents “The greatest thing that you can give a survivor is acknowledgement, not sympathy but acknowledgement”. Front cover of Time to be Heard: a Pilot Forum,

The guidance: key points Step-by-step guide References to best practice Acknowledgment/corporate responsibility Opportunity to meet the needs of survivors and other former residents 8

The needs of survivors and other former residents Can’t generalise Possible outcomes: see chart page 10 9

Learning from research Tom Shaw report: Time To Be Heard, 2011, Recommendations for Service Providers (section 4.2.1, pages 106–108): ‘Provide skilled assistance and supported arrangements to those former residents who are seeking information about themselves or about the institution which was their home’ ‘Ensure that responses to former residents are objective and supportive – they were, after all, your children.’ 10

Possible outcomes 11

Challenges include… Numbers not known Consistent national approach Legal and insurers Access to records, archiving and redaction 12

In summary Guidance: helping to bridge the gap Not just about ‘access to records’ Some of today’s child protection cases…tomorrow’s historical abuse cases Positive opportunity for survivors, other former residents and providers 13

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