Scotland's Redress Scheme: combined annual report 2025

1. Ministerial Foreword

Scotland’s Redress Scheme was launched in 2021 to acknowledge and provide tangible recognition of harm caused due to historical child abuse while in the care of the state, voluntary organisations and others, by taking responsibility, accountability, and steps to put it right.

Scotland’s Redress Scheme is underpinned by three principles – dignity, compassion, and respect – and these principles remain as important today as they were when the Scheme was designed. The Scheme aims to empower survivors by incorporating their insights, adopting a trauma-informed approach, and offering an alternative to a possibly adversarial legal process.

I understand nothing can ever make up for the suffering survivors endured in a place where they should have been safe, loved, and respected. The Scheme has now been open to applications for more than three years and it continues to make a genuine difference for many survivors as it serves as a crucial step in acknowledging the harm caused. This is achieved through issuing apologies, payments, and providing support to survivors.

The Scottish Government continues to actively seek financial contributions from responsible organisations, including those who owned, managed or were otherwise involved in relevant care settings where abuse occurred. There are now 24 entries on the live contributors list with contributions to the Scheme totalling over £123 million. Since the last combined report was published in 2024, four new contributors have joined the Scheme: Ochil Tower School, Loaningdale School Company, Capability Scotland and Congregation of the Mission (The Vincentian Fathers).

This report sets out the actions taken by contributors to Scotland’s Redress Scheme to redress the historical abuse of children and is a requirement of the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021.

I continue to be struck by the genuine commitment from contributors to right the wrongs of the past. I want to express my appreciation to all the contributors to Scotland’s Redress Scheme as we collectively endeavour to acknowledge the injustices of the past and provide redress to survivors of childhood abuse in care in Scotland. It is making a real difference to survivors and their families.

Kate Forbes Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic