Skip to main content
Share via Share via Share via Copy link
Spring 2024 update

Redress and reparation schemes: Where the complexity is not about quantum

25 June 2024

The Islington Support Payment Scheme closed on 31 May 2024. It was one of many payment schemes set up to compensate people affected by abuse in Council Children’s Homes.

This particular scheme related to children who were looked after by Islington Council between 1966 and 1995. 

Unusually, rather than having a complex and nuanced compensation structure, the scheme allowed for all successful applicants to receive a £10,000 support payment. It was specifically designed to be this straightforward so that applicants did not need legal representation. 

By 22 April 2024 the scheme had paid £2,700,000 in terms of agreed payments.

The simplicity of the scheme meant a greater proportion of the council’s available budget was available for the support payments and other benefits rather than to lawyers.

No scheme can be perfect, but this scheme was carefully crafted to be as straightforward as possible. Not only have payments been available, but perhaps more importantly applicants have been given access to:

  • trauma support;
  • support in accessing their care records under subject access requirements;
  • help with work and learning;
  • housing and welfare advice; and
  • community health and wellbeing activities.

The council provided advisers who had been carefully trained and available to communicate with applicants throughout the process. 

The scheme is not a redress scheme. It sits alongside the civil compensation route. The only way in which it intersects with the civil compensation route is financially, so that any scheme payment would be offset past or future civil compensation claim payment. 

For more information about payment, support, mass claims and redress schemes contact us.

Contact

Contact

Sarah Erwin-Jones

Partner

Sarah.Erwin-Jones@brownejacobson.com

+44 (0)115 976 6136

View profile Connect on LinkedIn
Can we help you? Contact Sarah

You may be interested in...