Nominations are being sought for a new group to design the proposed key features of a new, independent redress system for survivors of abuse in care, Iona Holsted said today.

“We want the 10-member Redress Design Group to be made up mainly of survivors of abuse in care,” she said. “It is essential that survivors are at the centre of this process.

“For too long, we have heard the call ‘nothing for us without us’ from survivors – the Government is responding to that.”

Establishing a new, independent, trauma-informed redress system, puretumu torowhānui, was the central recommendation of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission’s interim report on redress.

The Redress Design Group will have a Māori majority, because Māori were heavily over-represented in care. It will have a gender balance, and include wider survivor representation, along with experts.

The design group will be supported by an advisory group of up to 20 people representing specific survivor communities, including Māori, Pacific, disabled people, Deaf people, rangatahi (youth), LGBTQI, State care and faith-based care survivors.

“Collectively, we want the design and advisory groups to have strong links with their communities and understanding of their needs, along with experience in service design and delivery,” Iona Holsted said.

“The design group’s recommendations will form the basis for the new redress system. Detailed design work will follow decisions on the recommendations around the middle of 2023.”

Nominations are now open for the Redress Design Group and Advisory Group, closing on 13 December. People who wish to nominate someone (including themselves) can do so at https://www.abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/redress-design/

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