On 13th March 2023, The Executive Office launched an awareness campaign for victims and survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse.
The campaign encompasses a series of advertisements in regional and local newspapers and on social media, and seeks to raise awareness of the support, services and redress available to eligible individuals, in line with recommendations made by the Historical Institutional Abuse Enquiry. The campaign will be followed by a leaflet drop to all households in Northern Ireland later in the year.
In December 2020, the office for the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA) was established in parallel with the VSS launch of dedicated and specialist health and wellbeing support and services to victims and survivors.
Since the launch, our dedicated team have had the privilege of supporting over 900 survivors with tailored packages of care with the support of our community partners Wave Trauma Centre and Advice NI. Speaking of the awareness campaign, Denis McMahon, Permanent Secretary for The Executive Office, states:
the focus now is ensuring those who have not yet come forward know that help is available […] [and] to ensure that victims and survivors are fully supported before they submit an application to the Redress Board (The Executive Office, March 2023)
The Redress Board is responsible for receiving and processing applications for compensation from those who experienced abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995 or were sent to Australia under the Child Migrant Programme. Application forms can be completed online or in hard copy, and are available alongside eligibility criteria and guidelines on the HIA Redress website: www.hiaredressni.uk.
How can we help?
We understand that re-telling and re-living these experiences for the purposes of redress can be potentially distressing and re-traumatising for survivors, therefore our dedicated Health and Wellbeing Caseworkers are available to assist in the recording of lived experiences in a way that is both therapeutic and healing. They can also offer guidance on the range support services you may be eligible for, including:
- Health & Wellbeing (Caseworkers, Complimentary Therapies, Psychological Therapies, Pain Management)
- Personal Development (Personal and Professional Development, Education and Training)
- Social Support (Outreach, Befriending, Social Isolation)
- Welfare and Information Recovery (Welfare Support, Helping Engage with Other Agencies, Information Recovery and Retrieval)
If you would like to get in contact, please use the live chat function on our website or use the contact details below:
Victims and Survivors Service
4th Floor Seatem House
28-32 Alfred Street
Belfast
BT2 8EN
Telephone: 02890311678 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: hiaenquiries@vssni.org
Alternatively, you can contact the office of the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA) via the details below:
COSICA
5th Floor South
Queen’s Court
56-66 Upper Queen’s Street
Belfast
BT1 6FD
Telephone: 028 9054 4985 (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: info@cosica-ni.org