1. The Inquiry has heard evidence that a redress scheme would be a possible alternative to the existing systems of criminal^[1] and civil^[2] compensation. This would enable victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to obtain compensation for the abuse they have suffered. It may also have the flexibility to facilitate apologies, fund or direct victims and survivors to support services, and avoid the difficulties of civil litigation.

2. A redress scheme is generally an independent, non-adversarial forum in which applications for financial compensation are considered. It is usually administered on the basis of paper applications alone but may include psychiatric assessments.

3. Redress schemes have been used internationally as a model to address child sexual abuse. They have been set up by Lambeth London Borough Council, the Irish Government, the Jersey Government and the Australian Government, and one is also being established in Scotland.^[3] Schemes may be publicly funded, or paid for wholly or in part by the institutions responsible for the abuse (or their insurers). However, they are different from the types of settlement schemes that may be used to compensate groups of claimants who have initiated civil claims against individual perpetrators and defendant institutions.^[4]