Using the National Redress Guide
Welcome to the National Redress Guide. The Guide has been designed as a web publication (HTML). It is not available in a single electronic file or in paper format.
National Redress Scheme
The National Redress Scheme was established on 1 July 2018 in response to recommendations made by the Royal Commission in their report into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Scheme has 3 components a redress payment, counselling and psychological care and a direct personal response. Further information including how to apply is available on the National Redress Scheme website.
What does the Guide cover?
The Guide is divided into 9 parts as explained in the following table:
| Part name | What is covered |
|---|---|
| 1 Key terms | This part contains definitions of key terms used in this Guide. |
| 2 Applying for redress | This part is about how to make an application to the Scheme. |
| 3 Eligibility & entitlement to redress | This part contains details about when a person is eligible and/or entitled for redress under the Scheme. |
| 4 Determinations & offers of redress | This part is about what must be included in an offer of redress, what happens when a person accepts or declines an offer of redress, and what happens when a person requests an internal review of a decision. |
| 5 Components of redress | This part is about the 3 components of redress a person can receive: a redress monetary payment, counselling and psychological care, and a direct personal response. |
| 6 Use & disclosure of Scheme information | This part is about how the Scheme handles information for the purposes of the NRSAct and the confidentiality of personal and protected information. |
| 7 Institutions | This part is about participating institutions, participating groups, determining responsibility for abuse, and dealing with multiple institutions. |
| 8 Financial matters | This part is about financial arrangements including debt recovery and penalties for the Scheme. |
| 9 Other matters | This part sets out other matters including administrative arrangements and miscellaneous matters for the Scheme, including delegations under the Redress Act, the requirements for an annual report and reviews of the Scheme. |
| 10 Transitional arrangements | This part sets out the transitional arrangements under the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Act 2021 for applications made to the National Redress Scheme. |
Use of abbreviations
For ease of reference, the following abbreviations are used in the Guide:
- Redress Guide - National Redress Guide
- NRSAct - National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Act 2018
- NRS Rules - National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Rules 2018
- NRS Assessment Framework - National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Assessment Framework 2018
- NRS DPR Framework - National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Direct Personal Response Framework 2018
- DSS - Commonwealth Department of Social Services (Scheme Operator)
Finding information
The following features are provided to assist in finding relevant information:
- Search - type your search term (words or phrases) in the search box at the top of the page. The Advanced search on the results page allows a search to be limited to a specific Guide or Guides.
- Site map - gives an overall picture of the structure of the Redress Guide.
Links
The Guide has a number of links incorporated at various levels, including the following:
- Act references - links to relevant law on the Federal Register of Legislation website
- Policy references - links to related information in other parts of this Guide, and sometimes to other policy documents.