About the role of an Independent Decision Maker

Who we engage to be an Independent Decision Maker

IDMs are professionals, who have experience and qualifications in sectors including, but not limited to, social welfare, case management, policy, psychology, Indigenous affairs, and/or legal. 

IDMs have a strong understanding of the cultural, social, historical, and political factors relevant to the Scheme, and use their experience and understanding to apply, interpret, and follow legislation. 

IDMs also have high emotional intelligence, and use procedural fairness to assess applications, in accordance with the Scheme’s trauma informed framework. 

Some examples of experience held in the IDM cohort include:

  • barristers/solicitors with experience in public policy and victims of child sexual abuse
  • psychologists and counsellors with experience working in areas of mental health and child protection 
  • social workers with experience in child protection
  • previous serving police officers and detectives
  • experienced public servants with backgrounds in social policy, legislation and child protection.

All IDMs must tell of any actual, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest before and during their tenure. They do not assess applications from their own State or Territory or from institutions where they have personal or professional connections.

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What happens after applying

Watch the Auslan translation of 'What happens after you apply' on YouTube(Opens in a new tab/window)

What to expect

An Independent Decision Maker Independent Decision makers will consider applications for redress. They are highly experienced people from a range of backgrounds. will determine if you are eligible to receive redress. The whole process can take between 12 – 18 months to receive an outcome. Times can vary for each person who applies. This is because each person’s experience is different. 

If you would like to talk to someone about the application process, you can call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. If you are overseas, please call +61 3 6222 3455 and press 7 to be transferred to the National Redress Scheme.

Waiting while your application is considered by an Independent Decision Maker

An Independent Decision Maker will consider your application. They are highly experienced people from a range of backgrounds.

The Independent Decision Maker is the person that decides if a person can access redress under the National Redress Scheme, and if so, what redress the institution/s will make to that person. To do this, the Independent Decision Maker considers all the information provided in your application and by the institution/s. If they find you eligible, and an institution responsible for the abuse you experienced, you then an offer of redress can be made.

Learn more about Independent Decision Makers


The National Redress Scheme provides support to the Independent Decision Maker by:

  • keeping your information safe
  • asking you for more information when needed
  • sending some information from your application to the institution. The application and Redress Application Guidebook explain what information will be shared with the institution. The Scheme will send your name, date of birth and the description of the abuse and with your consent, its impact
  • asking the institution/s relevant to your application for more information, including their records of the time you were there or if you have received a prior payment. Institution/s have 8 weeks to provide this information to the National Redress Scheme. If you are ill or elderly they will have 4 weeks to respond
  • contacting the Police or child protection authorities if the Scheme believes there is a risk of ongoing abuse, based on the information in your application. Someone from the National Redress Scheme will contact you to let you know if there is a need to report the abuse.

The time to assess each application will be different, depending on the circumstances. If you are terminally ill or elderly, your application can be actioned quickly so you can receive redress as soon as possible. The National Redress Scheme may offer an advance payment of redress for some elderly or terminally ill applicants. You do not need to ask for this payment, you will be contacted by the Scheme if you are eligible.

While your application is being considered, please call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm if:

  • your contact details change
  • you want to add more information or change your application — you can do this at any time up until the Independent Decision Maker makes a determination on your application.

You can withdraw your application any time up until a determination on your application is made.

Receiving your outcome

The National Redress Scheme will contact you about the outcome of your application. If your application for redress is approved, you will receive an offer letter. The offer letter will:

  • explain the 3 components of redress: counselling, a redress payment and a direct personal response
  • specify the amount of redress payment
  • explain your offer to access to counselling and psychological care, or a payment to allow you to access those services privately (and if so, the amount of that payment)
  • specify the participating institution/s found responsible for providing redress
  • specify if any responsible institution/s is part of a participating group, and if so, who the associate institutions are
  • explain how the direct personal response from the institution/s can be arranged (if you wish to do this). When you are ready you can contact the institution/s to begin the direct personal response process. You can request this at any time during the life of the Scheme after you accepted this component
  • explain the effect of accepting an offer, that is, that you will be releasing the responsible institution/s, associate institutions and their officials from civil liability
  • explain that as a decision has been made, you cannot make another application to the Scheme
  • provide the date when you need to tell the National Redress Scheme about your decision to accept, decline or ask for a review the offer
  • explain how to accept or decline the offer, ask for an extension to the acceptance period, or apply for a review of the decision
  • give information about how to access free and confidential legal and financial services that can help you consider the offer.

If your application is not approved, you will receive a letter explaining the reasons for this decision and information on how to apply for a review of the decision.

You can discuss your outcome with your chosen nominee or a Redress Support Service, who can provide advice and guidance throughout your engagement with the National Redress Scheme. It's never too early or late to talk to a support service. 

Click here for information on the offer of redress

Accepting an offer

To accept an offer of redress, you or your legal nominee need to sign, date and return the acceptance document and send this to the National Redress Scheme within 6 months of the date of the offer letter. You can ask for more time to decide by calling us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. If you do ask for more time, the review period will also be extended.

The acceptance document will:

  • say which parts of the offer you want, and
  • have a legally binding agreement saying that you will take no further civil action against the responsible institution, its officials and any institutions it is associated with. This does not include the person or people that abused you.

When you return the completed and signed accepted document you will be telling the Scheme which part of redress you want. By accepting, you will be agreeing to release the responsible institution/s, their associated institutions and officials (other than the abuser/s) from any current or future civil claims.

You will also be agreeing to allow the participating institution/s or official/s to reveal the acceptance of the redress offer in the event that a relevant civil claim is made.

It is recommended that you get free and confidential legal advice from knowmore(Opens in a new tab/window) before signing the acceptance document. This service will help you understand the options available to you. You can contact knowmore on 1800 605 762 or by visiting the knowmore website(Opens in a new tab/window).

When you accept the offer of a redress payment, you will also be asked to complete a ‘Redress Payment Choice form’ that is sent with your offer letter. You will be asked to provide details of a bank account in your name. You can choose to be paid your redress payment to your nominated bank account either as:

  • a single lump sum
  • by instalments, or
  • a combination of both - an upfront lump sum with the remainder paid by instalments.

When the National Redress Scheme receives the signed and dated Acceptance Document, it will write to you to confirm your redress payment is made into the nominated bank account. This letter will also include:

  • contact information for counselling and psychological care if you accept this redress component
  • contact information for each relevant responsible institution who will deliver your direct personal response. You will need to contact the institution when you are ready to start the process or contact us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, asking to speak to Direct Personal Response Information and Support. 

If you chose to receive redress payments by instalments, the letter will also include a schedule of when redress payments will be made to you.

How do I get an extension for the acceptance period?

You need to call us on 1800 737 377, to ask for more time to decide.

Asking for a review

If you do not agree with your redress outcome, you can ask for a review. You can only ask for a review once, by filling in the Application for Review of Determination form sent to you with your outcome letter. You can also download a copy of the Application for Review of Determination form below. The Scheme cannot accept a request for a review made over the phone.

As part of your Application for Review of Determination form you can provide additional information and documents to the Scheme.

A different Independent Decision Maker from the one who made the original decision will do the review. The new Independent Decision Maker is called a reviewer. The reviewer may keep the original decision or make a new decision.

A redress offer cannot be reduced where the reviewer has the same information and documents that were available to the original Independent Decision Maker. A review determination can still be adjusted to account for additional information and documents that were not available at the time of the original decision. A review may also result in a different decision about your eligibility. If you were previously ineligible, the review may also find you eligible.

The National Redress Scheme will call you to let you know the outcome of your review before it is finalised in writing. During this call, or at any time before you accept or decline your review offer, you can withdraw your request for a review. If you choose to withdraw, the review determination is taken never to have been made, and you will still be able to accept or decline your original offer.

When the National Redress Scheme writes to you with your review outcome:

  • if your offer stays the same, you will have 2 months to accept or decline the offer
  • if your offer changes, you will have 6 months to either accept or decline your offer and the previous offer will be withdrawn
  • if you need more time, you can ask for an extension.

Institutions cannot request a review of redress decisions.

Responding to an outcome or asking for a review

What is a reassessment of redress?

A reassessment of redress is only available to some applicants with a finalised application. The Scheme will try and contact you if you are eligible for a reassessment.

The reassessment may provide you with access to redress from those institutions named in your application or identified by the Scheme, which joined the Scheme after your application for redress was finalised.

The Independent Decision Maker (IDM) will reassess your application and make their decision for redress. The IDM may make you a new redress offer that is the same, or may offer you an increase to your redress payment amount, access to Counselling and Psychological Care, and a Direct Personal Response from all relevant responsible institution/s.

Note: We cannot guarantee the IDM’s reassessment decision will result in you receiving a new redress payment offer that is more than your current offer. Your new reassessed offer of redress will not be less than your original redress offer and may introduce a further institution through which you can receive a Direct Personal Response.

If you think your finalised application can be reassessed, please first speak with our free independent legal support service knowmore or one of our free Redress Support Services to find out if a reassessment would affect your current circumstances.

Who is eligible for a reassessment?

A reassessment of a finalised application is only available to some applicants. To be eligible for reassessment of your application for redress, the following criteria must be met:

  • you must have either accepted or declined your redress outcome, and
  • after your application was finalised, one or more non-participating institutions named in your application or identified by the Scheme during your application process, have joined the Scheme, and
  • the Scheme receives your completed and signed Reassessment Agreement Form on or before 30 June 2027.

The Scheme will try to notify you if you are eligible for a reassessment of your finalised application. A reassessment of your application will only start when the Scheme receives the completed and signed Reassessment Agreement Form. If you cannot sign the form, or have recently changed your contact details, please call us on 1800 737 377.

Note: We cannot accept phone requests to start a reassessment.

The Scheme may need to ask you and the institutions for more information to assist the Independent Decision Maker (IDM) to make their reassessment decision. It is important to keep the Scheme updated with your contact information.

Withdrawing from a reassessment

If you agreed to a reassessment of your finalised application and later wish to withdraw your agreement, you will need to call us or write to us using the Scheme’s withdrawal form. If you withdraw from the reassessment, your current determination for redress remains in place.

Reassessment outcome

We will contact you when a reassessment outcome decision is made.

You can choose to accept, decline or ask for a review of the reassessment outcome.

If you accept the reassessment offer, it will replace your previous accepted offer. If you decline, your original offer will remain in place.

A reassessed redress payment offer cannot be less than what you previously accepted.

Note: If you ask for a review of the reassessment decision, you will not be able to provide additional information as part of this process. The review will be undertaken based only on the information that was available to the Independent Decision Maker who made the reassessment decision.

Reassessment Forms

Declining the offer

You can decline the offer by filling in and returning to the National Redress Scheme, the declining the offer of redress form, or you can do nothing.

If the National Redress Scheme does not hear from you within the 6-month acceptance period, it will assume that you have declined your offer.

If you decline your offer, you will not be able to apply to the National Redress Scheme again. 

If you decline your offer and received an advance payment, that amount will have to be paid back to the Government. 

Declining an offer of redress

Support and resources

Counselling and Psychological Care

About Counselling and Psychological Care

The Counselling and Psychological Care component of redress is provided by the state or territory you live in when you accept your offer. The state or territory will work with you to ensure your Counselling and Psychological Care continues to meet your needs. These services have expertise in supporting people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. You will be able to access a minimum of 20 hours of counselling over your lifetime.

While you are undertaking the application process, free and confidential Redress Support Services are there to help you. These services can help you understand the Scheme, talk about how you feel  and guide you through the whole application process. When the National Redress Scheme writes to you to offer you redress, the letter will explain how you can access Counselling and Psychological Care in your state or territory if you accept this component of redress.

Find Counselling and Psychological Care in your state or territory

Support and resources

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    24/7 support

    If you need immediate support, this is available through these free 24-hour phone services.
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    Get free help to apply

    Connect with legal support, financial counselling, and support services to help you fill out the application form.
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Redress payments

About redress payments

Redress payments will be:

  • non-taxable,
  • exempt from Commonwealth debt recovery,
  • exempt from income tests relevant to Commonwealth Government payments, and;
  • exempt from creditors where a person is bankrupt.

Any prior payments you received that were related to the abuse (sexual or physical), or harm caused by the abuse, will be deducted from your final redress payment. You are required to tell us about any prior payments you receive from an institution before you accept your redress offer.

  • this includes payments made as a court awarded payment, through victims of crime, or from another redress scheme
  • prior payments will be adjusted to today's value, using a formula, accounting for the number of full years since you received the payment to the date that the application was submitted to the Scheme
  • if the institution made a payment to you for any medical, dental, legal or other expenses, the payment will not be considered and will not be deducted from your redress payment.

If you received a prior payment, please attach any documents, such as a settlement or deed you have signed, to your application. We need these documents to understand why the payment was made and that you did agree to accept the payment from the institution. We will contact you if an institution tells us a payment was made to you.

A redress payment can be included as part of the assets test for Commonwealth Government payments.

How can I receive my payment? 

When you accept the offer of a redress payment, you will also be asked to complete a ‘Redress Payment Choice form’ that is sent with your offer letter. You will be asked to provide details of a bank account in your name. You can choose to be paid your redress payment to your nominated bank account either as:

  • a single lump sum,
  • by instalments, or
  • a combination of both - an upfront lump sum, with the remainder paid by instalments.

Note: If you are under a Financial Administrative Order appointed by a court, please tell us so that redress payment can be made to the financial administrator.

It is recommended that you get free and confidential legal advice from knowmore before signing the acceptance document. This service will help you understand the options available to you. You can contact knowmore on 1800 605 762 or by visiting the knowmore website(Opens in a new tab/window).

Support and resources

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Direct personal response

About a direct personal response

Many survivors have found a direct personal response to be very important in helping them to achieve a sense of healing and to feel like something is being done to prevent such traumas happening to future generations.

A direct personal response is tailored to you. It could include:

  • an apology from the institution/s, which acknowledges your personal experience and the impact the abuse has had on you
  • the institution/s taking responsibility for what happened; and
  • an explanation from the institution/s on what they have done, or will do, to stop abuse from happening again. 

A direct personal response will usually involve some form of contact with the institution/s. You do not have to do this on your own.

To support you in deciding whether you would like a direct personal response, or to get help with organising one, you can: 

  • speak to a support person, such as a friend, family member, or a counsellor
  • talk to a Redress Support Service to help you decide
  • contact the Scheme’s DPR Information and Support service by calling us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, and asking to talk to the DPR Information and Support service.

To receive a direct personal response, you will need to:

If needed, you can delay or stop this process at any time.

Support and resources

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What is an offer of redress?

Watch the Auslan translation of 'What does the National Redress Scheme offer' on YouTube(Opens in a new tab/window)

The National Redress Scheme can offer eligible survivors:

If you receive an offer of redress, you can accept or decline any of all of these redress components. This is your choice.

This page provides information about each these components of redress.

A Redress Support Service can discuss your options with you. You can also call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm.

Redress payment

Payments will be determined on an individual basis. They range from less than $10,000 through to $150,000.

Redress payments are:

  • non-taxable
  • exempt from Commonwealth debt recovery
  • exempt from income tests relevant to Commonwealth Government payments (Disability Support Pension, Aged Pension, etc)
  • exempt from creditors where a person is bankrupt.

Any prior payments you received, that were related to the child sexual abuse you detailed in your redress application will be deducted from your final redress payment. You are required to tell us about any prior payments you receive from an institution before you accept your redress offer.

A redress payment can be included as part of the assets test for Commonwealth Government payments.

Learn more about receiving a redress payment

Counselling and Psychological care

Counselling is part of an offer of redress that you can choose to accept.

How you access counselling will depend on where you live.

In some states, you will be connected to a free, local service as part of your offer. These services will have expertise in supporting people who have experienced child sexual abuse. You will be able to access a minimum of 20 hours of counselling over your lifetime.

If you live in South Australia or overseas you may receive a lump sum payment of up to $5,000 as part of your offer. This can be used to pay for services in your local area.

When the National Redress Scheme writes to offer you redress, the letter will explain how you can access this free counselling.

Learn more about receiving counselling through the Scheme
 

Direct personal response

A direct personal response is an opportunity for you to receive an apology from the institution/s found responsible for the sexual abuse you experienced as a child. A direct personal response can take many forms and many survivors have found this to be a very important aspect of their healing journey and to feel like something is being done to prevent such traumas happening to future generations.

To ensure the direct personal response is meaningful, it is individualised to the survivor. It could include:

  • an apology from the institution/s which acknowledges your personal experience, and the impact the abuse has had on you
  • the institution/s taking responsibility for what happened
  • an explanation from the institution/s on what they have done, or will do, to stop abuse from happening again.

A direct personal response will usually involve some form of contact with the institution/s. You do not have to do this on your own. A nominee can support you in arranging your direct personal response.

You can also get more information about your direct personal response and help organising it, by calling us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, and asking to talk to the DPR Information and Support service. 

Learn more about receiving a direct personal response

Support and resources

Who can apply

Who can apply

You can apply if:

  • you experienced institutional sexual abuse before turning 18, and
  • the abuse occurred before 1 July 2018, and
  • you were born before 30 June 2010, and
  • you are an Australian citizen or permanent residentThis means someone who is legally a citizen of Australia or holds a permanent resident visa. when you apply, unless an exception applies to you as a former child migrant who: 
    • was sent to Australia from the United Kingdom or Malta prior to 1984,
    • arrived in Australia without a parent or guardian, and
    • were made ward of the state.

What is institutional child sexual abuse?


Not sure if you can apply?

If you're not sure you can apply or you have questions about the process, please call us on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm. If you are overseas, please call +61 3 6222 3455 and press 7 to be transferred to the National Redress Scheme.

Circumstances that might affect how your application is processed

Your application may progress differently if you:

  • are currently under 18 years of age
  • have been sentenced to serve 5 years or more in gaol for a single offence either in Australia or overseas.

Are you currently aged under 18 years?

If you are under 18 years old, but will turn 18 on or before 30 June 2028, you can still apply for the National Redress Scheme.

After you have applied, the National Redress Scheme will contact you (and nominee if one is appointed) in writing to let you know that your application was safely received. This letter will include information about next steps which may help you decide whether you want to wait for a redress outcome when you turn 18, or pursue other options.

You need to be aged 18 years or older to accept an offer from the National Redress Scheme.

You can get help to understand your legal options through National Redress Support Services and legal support service knowmore(Opens in a new tab/window).  Applicants under 18 years of age can access specialised services and support through Bravehearts(Opens in a new tab/window).

Have you been sentenced to imprisonment for 5 years or more?

If you have been convicted of a crime and been sentenced to 5 or more years in gaol for a single offence (defined as a Serious Criminal Conviction), you can still apply for redress but you will need to go through a special assessment process to determine if you are entitled to redress. 

If this is the case for you, you will be asked to provide some additional information about your offences. The National Redress Scheme will then request advice about your entitlement to redress from:

  • the Specified Advisor in the state or territory where you were abused
  • the Specified Advisor in the state or territory where your offence occurred (if it is different), and/or
  • the Commonwealth Specified Advisor (only if your offence was a federal criminal offence or occurred overseas).

When deciding about your entitlement to redress, the National Redress Scheme Operator (the Operator) considers advice received from the relevant Specified Advisor. The Operator will take into account the following:

  • the nature of your offence
  • how long you were sentenced to imprisonment
  • your criminal history
  • how long it’s been since you committed the offence
  • how long it’s been since you were in gaol (if you’ve been released)
  • your rehabilitation efforts since the offence and
  • any other relevant information that would help the Operator make a decision about your entitlement to redress.

Your application for redress will only progress if you are entitled to redress after the special assessment process has been completed.

For more information on applying with Serious Criminal Convictions

Applying for someone who has died

You can not apply to the National Redress Scheme on behalf of a person who has died.

If someone dies after the Scheme receives their application, it will progress to the Independent Decision Maker for a decision.  If they are found eligible, their estate can receive the redress payment.  The counselling and direct personal response components of redress are no longer available.

If you are an executor or beneficiary of an estate, you can contact the Scheme to discuss the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Support and resources

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    Easy Read guides

    Access Easy Read guides to help you or others to apply.
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    In your language

    Get resources in your language to help you apply.
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    Get free help to apply

    Connect with legal support, financial counselling, and support services to help you fill out the application form.
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    What we do with your information

    The National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act 2018 and the Privacy Act 1988 set out how your information is protected.
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    Service charter

    The Charter sets out the Scheme’s commitments to supporting survivors through each stage of the redress application process.
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    Contact the Scheme

    Contact us for support with your application.

What if you want to apply while in gaol?

How to apply if you are in gaol

If you want to apply for redress, you can ask the Scheme to send you an Application for Redress form, an Application Guidebook and other forms by mail. You can do this by:

  • calling the Scheme using the Common Auto Dial List number in your gaol, Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, or
  • calling the Scheme on 1800 737 377 Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, or  
  • writing to us.

Your Application for Redress can then be mailed for free to the Scheme:

             NRS
             Reply Paid 7750
             Canberra BC ACT 2610
             Australia.

Mail between you and the Scheme is treated as privileged mail.

If you have a criminal conviction of five years or more for a single offence, you may be subject to a further special assessment process before your application for redress can progress.

Appointing a Nominee

To help us communicate with you while you are in gaol, you may want to appoint a redress nominee.

A redress nominee is a person or an organisation who you trust, and who can be your main point of contact to act on your behalf with the Scheme.

For more details about appointing a nominee, contact the Scheme.

Contact us for more help

Support and resources

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Serious Criminal Convictions

Applying if you have a Serious Criminal Conviction

You will need to fill out the Serious Criminal Convictions Additional Information Form. Keep a copy and send it back to us. If you don't return it within 8 weeks, your application will be paused.

If you would like a person or an organisation to contact the Scheme and act on your behalf for the purposes of the Scheme, you can access the Redress Nominee Form.

Serious Criminal Convictions Additional Information Form

The form has two parts:

  • Part A: Provides information for a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC).
  • Part B: Provides details about your conviction and any rehabilitation efforts that you have participated in.

Downloads

Please note: To use the Fillable PDF Serious Criminal Convictions Additional Information Form, you must first download it to your desktop. It cannot be completed in a web browser. For more information, visit Fillable forms.

How do we decide to accept your redress application?

We will review your NCCHC results and your Part B information. This will determine whether you need to go through the special assessment process.  

If you do, the Scheme Operator will then consider:

  • advice from the Specified Advisor for the jurisdiction where you committed the offence and the Specified Adviser where you experienced the abuse (noting it may be the same jurisdiction for both, so may be the same Specified Adviser)
  • what your sentence was for and how long it was
  • how much time has passed since the offence
  • your rehabilitation and
  • other relevant information you provide to us.

Outcome

The Scheme Operator will decide if you being entitled to redress would bring the scheme into disrepute or adversely affect public confidence in, or support for, the Scheme. If approved, your application will continue as usual. We will inform you of the outcome.

Support and resources

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    Nominees

    A nominee is someone who can act on your behalf when accessing the National Redress Scheme.
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    How to apply

    To receive an offer of redress from the National Redress Scheme, first you will need to apply.
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    Get free help to apply

    Connect with legal support, financial counselling, and support services to help you fill out the application form.
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    Contact the Scheme

    Contact us for support with your application
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What we do with your information

How your information is used and protected

When applying to the National Redress Scheme, your personal information will be required to progress your application. The Australian Government Department of Social Services (the department) administers the National Redress Scheme, assisted by Services Australia. The information you provide us in your application (and in any attachments, related verbal or written statements, or documents) is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988(Opens in a new tab/window) (Privacy Act) and the strict confidentiality provisions of the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act 2018(Opens in a new tab/window) (the Redress Act).

The Redress Act and Privacy Act set out how your information can be collected, stored, accessed, used and disclosed.

Privacy is important to us, and the information collected must be directly related to, or reasonably necessary for, one or more of our functions under the Redress Act. At times, your information may be shared with other people and organisations (third parties) who may need to view it in order to manage or respond to your application, or for other authorised purposes. Examples of these third parties can be found in our Privacy Notice. People who use or share your information without the authority to do so, can be fined or gaoled.

If you do not agree to us collecting, using and disclosing information that is relevant to your application, or after making your application you no longer agree to us using or disclosing your information, we may not be able to progress your application, or our ability to progress your application may be restricted.

More information about how we handle your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy contains information on how you can access your personal information that we hold, and how to seek correction of that personal information. It also contains information about how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, as set out in the Privacy Act 1988.

Read the Privacy Policy and Notices to understand about how your information is collected, stored and used

Protected Information

The protection of applicants’ deeply personal information and institutions’ sensitive information is paramount to the National Redress Scheme. The Scheme takes its responsibility for protected information seriously to reduce the risk of re-traumatisation for survivors and maintain the integrity of, and trust in, Scheme processes and decision making.

Media outlets, applicants, government and non-government institutions, and other relevant stakeholders are reminded that information about a person or an institution that is held by the National Redress Scheme is protected information and cannot be disclosed unless authorised in accordance with the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act 2018. 

Penalties apply to the unauthorised disclosure of protected information in certain circumstances.

Please refer to the protected information factsheet or contact the Scheme on 1800 737 377 for more information or to report suspected unauthorised disclosure of protected information.
 

Internal investigations and disciplinary procedures by institutions

  • Institutions can use information received from the Scheme to undertake internal investigation and disciplinary procedures.
  • The Scheme may contact an applicant, on behalf of an institution, to see if the applicant wants to participate in an internal investigation and disciplinary procedure.
  • Where an applicant indicates to the Scheme that they do not wish to participate in an internal investigation or disciplinary procedure, being undertaken by an institution, the Scheme expects that an institution will respect the applicant’s wishes.
  • Institutions must not try to contact an applicant separately to the Scheme.

Reporting abuse to keep children safe

  • Under the law, the Scheme and participating institutions must report risks of ongoing abuse, based upon the information in your application, to the Police and child protection authorities.
  • The Scheme may need to contact you to discuss the matter further before making a report. Anonymous reports can be made to the police if you do not wish to be identified.
  • Where institutions are made aware of risks of ongoing abuse or past abuse, they may have an obligation to advise relevant authorities. Where the Scheme knows a person does not want to be identified in a report made to authorities, the Scheme will advise an institution. In some circumstances, institutions may be obligated by law to disclose an applicant’s name in order for authorities to undertake an investigation.
  • Applicants should discuss with the Scheme what these reporting obligations may mean for them.

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