Scotland's Redress Scheme – 2025 Combined Annual Report

4.12 Harmeny Education Trust

Introduction

This report sets out the non-financial steps that Harmeny Education Trust Limited (HETL) has taken to meet our obligations as a member of the Scottish Government’s Redress Scheme (the Scheme) for Survivors of Historic Abuse. The reporting period covers 7 December 2023 to 6 December 2024. The report is submitted to the Scottish Government in line with our obligations under the Scheme.

During the reporting period, we had no direct contact from the Scottish Government Redress Team regarding any former pupils placed at Harmeny School (the School) during the period HETL has held responsibility for running the School (from December 1995). We were made aware of one verification request to Save the Children UK (SCUK)

We have received no new subject access requests (SAR) relating to former pupils but did complete the processing of information relating to the SAR reported in 2023. This was received about a former pupil who may have been placed at the School during the period HETL has held responsibility for running the School, although this is unknown, as the individual commenced during the period Save the Children UK (SCUK) ran the School (1958 to 1995) and their leaving date is unknown.

We outline, below, the measures that we have in place to ensure that we are prepared to provide assistance or support to survivors who make contact with us.

Governance

We have taken the following steps to ensure that we fulfil our obligations under the Scheme and provide high-quality support for survivors:

• The Chief Executive holds responsibility for overseeing HETL’s commitments under the Scheme, with a team of individuals providing support, including the Administration Manager, Head of HR (who fulfils the role of Data Protection Officer), Harmeny’s Social Worker and HETL’s external solicitors.
• Requests are responded to within required timeframes, and HETL’s Trustees are regularly kept up to date at Board meetings.
• An agreement is in place with SCUK regarding how we work together to support former pupils to access records and provide emotional, psychological or practical support.

Providing, emotional, psychological or practical support

During the reporting period, we have not had any requests for emotional, psychological or practical support from individuals who were abused as children during the period HETL has run the School. As an organisation involved in the therapeutic care and education of children and young people who have experienced early years trauma through abuse and neglect, we have a number of resources which will allow us to offer such support to any former pupils. These are as follows:

• Harmeny Here4U, a ‘transitions and keeping in touch’ project, which enables former pupils to maintain contact with Harmeny and have conversations about their time at the School. This allows us to evaluate and learn from their experiences and signpost former pupils to services which might provide support in relation to their identified needs.
• A fully qualified Harmeny Social Worker, whose background includes significant child protection experience and the provision of practical and compassionate support to children and families.
• A Therapies Manager, who is a Chartered Psychologist, and oversees a small team of Therapists and Assessment and Planning Workers.
• A therapeutic practice framework, known as the Harmeny Way, describing the range of theories and evidence-informed approaches which inform our work.

The above resources allow us to work in a trauma-informed way, and in the event of a request from a former pupil who may have been abused during the time HETL has run the School, a package of support would be put together, in consultation with the individual, and tailored to their needs. This might include counselling through a third-party accredited provider depending on where the individual lived.

Our approach will always be flexible and continually monitored and will be refined based on feedback on how it works in practice from survivors over the course of the Scheme.

Providing assistance to survivors to access historical records

We have a contractual agreement in place with SCUK to ensure that our obligations to make historical records relating to the School available to applicants under the Scheme are met. This agreement sets out the basis for the control, protection and sharing of personal data between HETL and SCUK in line with data protection legislation and guidance, as well as forming the basis on which HETL and SCUK cooperate with one another in relation to access to, and use of, historical records relating to the School.

Under our agreement, and in practice, HETL and SCUK work closely together to handle SARs by former pupils of the School. Such requests are generally received by the management at HETL, whereafter HETL and SCUK jointly prepare the response to the individual (if appropriate) to ensure that all appropriate records relating to their request can be provided.

HETL maintains contact with the individual making a request, or their representative, by telephone or email, and offers the opportunity for the individual to visit the School, if they would like to do so. A copy of the book, ‘ Recollections of Harmeny: The First Fifty Years’ see 7.5) is also available free of charge for any former pupil, should they wish to have a copy.

Providing assistance in tracing and reuniting families

We have had no requests to provide assistance in tracing and reuniting families during the reporting period. Should an individual request this we would support them in doing so, with our Here4U Project Worker taking a lead role in this, supported by the Chief Executive.

Providing apologies to survivors

As stated in our Acknowledgement Letter, published on the Scottish Government’s Redress Scheme’s Website, Harmeny Education Trust offers our unreserved and sincere apologies to anyone who suffered abuse or harm while in our care. While nothing can undo the hurt and pain suffered, we hope that being part of the redress scheme confirms our commitment to making amends.

During this reporting period, we have not provided an apology to any individual survivors; however, we acknowledge the importance of this element in relation to non-financial redress. Our approach would be to tailor an apology to an individual who was abused or harmed during the period HETL has held responsibility for running the School, ensuring that they are treated with dignity, respect and compassion.

Where a face-to-face apology is requested/agreed by an individual victim and/or their family, we would be willing to provide this. We would equally be willing to provide a written apology only, where a victim expressed such a preference. We would seek advice as appropriate in those circumstances.

Other support

Contact/visits from former pupils

Our Harmeny Here4U project offers former pupils, both from during the period in which SCUK ran the School as well as during the period in which HETL has run the School, the opportunity to visit the School. SCUK has provided a financial contribution to HETL to support former pupils from their time with travel and other expenses. During their visit, we provide hospitality through food and refreshments, allow the them time to share memories of their time at the School, provide a tour, provide a free copy of the ‘Recollections of Harmeny’ book (see 7.5), and share any photographs and historic archives which might be of interest.

During the reporting period, Harmeny Here4U Project hosted the following visits:

• Visits from two SCUK former pupils, totalling three separate visits.
• Visits from 18 HETL former pupils, totalling 34 separate visits.

The Harmeny Here4U project also had first time contact from five former pupils from the SCUK period of governance and nine new contacts from the HETL period.

In this reporting period we hosted a memorial service, at the request of her family, for a young person who had died in her early twenties as the family reported that her time at Harmeny had been amongst the happiest in her life and they had always been made welcome.

Formal Pupil Memorial

Over the course of the reporting period, we have been working with the current young people at Harmeny and several potential partners, to identify an appropriate focus on site for former pupils of both SCUK and HETL to mark their connection with Harmeny. The proposal is similar to the ‘love locks’ concept seen in many places around the world. Costings have been forthcoming from different installation providers, and these are currently being considered.

National standards and commitment to quality

HETL has very good processes in place to safeguard the welfare of children in our care, evidenced by strong inspection reports over the last 16 years. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality services, and the safety and wellbeing of children in our care are core to our values, practice and ethos.

We are regulated and inspected by the Care Inspectorate and are required to provide residential care and education to children and young people, in line with national Health and Social Care Standards. In October 2024 we received an unannounced care inspection and received the grade of 4 (good) for “Children and young people feel safe, feel loved and get the most out of life.” Some key inspection findings included:

• “Young people experienced warm, nurturing and respectful care and staff worked hard to keep young people safe...”
• “Transitions for young people moving into a from the service were managed well.”
• “The ‘Here4U’ project was a strength of the service. This commitment to maintaining connections supported the young people’s sense of worth and belonging.”

Safeguarding policy and procedures

We have a comprehensive Child Protection (CP) Policy based on the Scottish National guidance, which includes clear procedures for handling CP and well-being concerns. The policy and procedures are overseen by the Chief Executive, updated regularly, and signed off by the Board of Trustees. The policy includes the following key sections:

• Definitions of CP and well-being concerns.
• Types and indicators of abuse.
• Procedures for reporting concerns internally and externally.
• Recording procedures.
• Roles and responsibilities.
• Procedures when allegations against staff are made.
• Staff supports.
• Training.

All staff, volunteers and consultants are required to undertake CP training and read the policy and procedures as part of their induction and receive refresher training on a regular basis. A group of Lead CP Officers meets quarterly to review incidents, update the CP Policy and oversee the provision of training, alongside our learning and development team.

Safeguarding governance

A summary of safeguarding issues is provided at each Board meeting by the Chief Executive, and Trustees are invited to ask any questions or provide feedback in relation to this. Trustees also regularly visit the School and attend School events and Harmeny Pupil Council. Pupil and parent/carer representatives attend the Board once per year to provide feedback on the quality of services and make suggestions around how they might be improved.

Historic archive

As well as the safe storage of former pupils’ records, we hold a small historic archive relating to the School’s history, including documents relating to the establishment and development of the School, photographs, annual reports, newspaper articles, and records of visits from dignitaries and officials. In 2014, HETL published ‘Recollections of Harmeny: The First Fifty Years’, which tells the story through words and pictures of Harmeny School, drawing on stories of staff and former pupils.

The Harmeny archive has now been digitised in full.

Participation in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry

In 2018 HETL was named by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) and was advised by the Inquiry Team that we were required to respond for the period from December 1995, when HETL took over the running of the School. We are unaware of why we have been named but are fully cooperating with the process and submitted a formal two-part questionnaire in September 2019, covering the period from 21 December 1995 to December 2014. Subsequent to this we have answered a number of queries from the Inquiry Team and made a further submission in January 2025.

In November 2023, Lady Smith, Chair of the Inquiry, announced Phase 9 of the Inquiry, which will focus on the provision of residential care in establishments for children and young people with long-term healthcare needs, additional support needs and disabilities. HETL will be in Block 3 of Phase 9, alongside around 17 other establishments, and it is expected that initial submissions will commence at the end of April 2025. We are highly supportive of the SCAI and will continue to fully cooperate with any further requests that the Inquiry Team might have. The Chief Executive will represent Harmeny at the Inquiry.