Your restoration journey
Guiding you through your restoration journey
The Salvation Army Centre for Restoration is dedicated to supporting any person who has suffered any form of historic child abuse within The Salvation Army in Australia.
We are a team of people who understand that it takes significant courage for survivors of abuse to come forward and share their experiences. Our team guides each person through the process of seeking redress through The Salvation Army Personal Injuries Complaints Committee. We operate with sensitivity to survivor’s individual needs, in order to help them move forward in their own personal journey of healing and peace.
The path to healing
It takes significant courage for survivors of abuse to pursue peace and healing. The Centre for Restoration is dedicated to listening to you and supporting you with your own personal journey.
We encourage you to contact us (find our details at the bottom of this page) to find out how you can move forward with your restoration journey through the Centre for Restoration. The following is a guide to the process you can expect.
A guide to the process
After you contact the Centre for Restoration, we will send you a client information form to complete or you can download these forms here.
Download Client Information Pack
This will provide us with your basic details. We will also ask you for copies of 2 identifying documents.
A qualified case manager can assist you if necessary and answer any of your questions.
We need to understand your experience of abuse, and so it is important that you provide us with an “Impact Statement”. This is your opportunity to tell us what happened and express the impact it has had on your life. We recognise this may be difficult, and so we will help you to share your experience in a way that is most comfortable for you.
Once we have received your client information form and Impact Statement, we will work with you to develop a personalised Care Plan. This can include:
- Funding for counselling or psychological support
- A personal apology from a leader of The Salvation Army (this can be face to face if you wish)
- Assisting you with reporting the matter to the police
- Assisting you with seeking legal advice
Your case will be taken to the Personal Injuries Complaints Committee, which meets once a month. Salvation Army officers and other qualified personnel, including an independent clinical psychologist, will consider your case carefully and compassionately. You are not required to meet with the Committee.
Once the Committee has discussed your case, the outcome will be communicated to you on the same or next working day by your case manager. An offer of financial redress may be made. If you accept this offer, we will send you the necessary paperwork to complete, including a “Deed of Release”, which is a legal document. We will pay for you to seek independent legal advice before signing the Deed of Release.
Your case manager will continue to work with you to achieve any remaining Care Plan goals.
Following this process, you may or may not wish to engage with The Salvation Army on an ongoing basis. We will be guided by your wishes. If you want to have ongoing support after your claim is finalised, we will connect you to a local program for that support. We will also provide funding for up to two years of counselling and/or psychological support with a qualified, registered provider of your choice.
Impact Statement Guidelines
Your experience, your story
To better understand the abuse you experienced, we would like to hear (in your words) what happened and the impact it had on you.
If you feel anxious about this, we can pay for you to see a registered counsellor or psychologist of your choice to help you prepare your statement, or you can speak with our case manager who will prepare this on your behalf. Please call our office on (02) 9466 3063 if you’d like this assistance, or if you have any other questions.
What we require for your claim is a clear account of the events and abuse you experienced, as well as a description of how this has impacted your life since.
If possible, please provide the following details:
- What occurred
- The age you were at the time
- How long you were in Salvation Army care
- Where it occurred
- Who the offender was (if known)
- How often it occurred, and how long it continued
- Whether anyone else was aware
- Whether you disclosed to The Salvation Army at the time or later, and the consequences, if any, of this disclosure
When speaking about the impact, you might like to discuss:
- Impact on lifestyle and activities (such as sleeping, working)
- Relationships (with partner, family, and friends)
- Psychological effects (such as depression or anxiety)
- Injuries or the need for ongoing medical treatment
- Emotions or feelings relating to the abuse (such as hurt, anger, fear, lack of safety)
- Loss of culture/identity