Access to Records

Our highly skilled and experienced team is here to support you with the process of requesting and retrieving historical records from your time spent in care. We work on your behalf to contact data controllers and request access to any records and information they may hold about you. We specifically focus on attempting to recover records which might be used to support your application for Scotland’s Redress Scheme.

If you are seeking support to access your records for Scotland’s Redress Scheme, contact a case worker at Scotland’s Redress Scheme and they can make a referral to Redress Support Service. You can find out more about Redress Support Service at  www.redress-support.scot

When we receive the referral from Redress Support Service, you will be assigned an allocated worker who support you by:

• Working on your behalf to request your records from data controllers
• Accepting any returned records on your behalf and supporting you with the contents
• Cataloguing the records and forwarding them to Redress Scotland
• Liaising with Redress Scotland Case workers to ascertain if they have enough records to proceed to panel

We offer a relationship-based and trauma-informed approach, working with you to help you understand the type of records that might exist and guiding you through the information that is received. Your Access to Records Support worker will take as long as you need to go through the records received and discuss any queries or concerns.

Communication is tailored to meet your needs over secure email, telephone and video calls, according to preference.

We will explore all avenues to recover records including care establishments, local authorities, court records, police records and medical records, where you have given written consent for us to do so.

We do not see your Redress application and we will not ask about your experience of abuse.

We will let you know the outcome of our search for your records and discuss what you’d like to do with them. The Access to Records Worker can catalogue your records to ensure that the Panel’s attention is drawn to certain aspects or comments within your records.

Further information about Scotland’s Redress Scheme can be found on Scotland’s Redress Scheme’s website. Personalised support for anyone thinking about or in the process of applying for redress is available from Redress Support Services.