Scotland's Redress Scheme – 2025 Combined Annual Report

4.13 Kibble Education and Care Centre

Introduction

This report is provided in response to the Scottish Ministers request for Kibble Education and Care Centre (‘Kibble’) to prepare and send an annual redress report for the period 7 December 2023 to 6 December 2024.

This fulfils Kibble’s requirement under the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021 in producing a report covering the following requested areas:

• Funding for emotional, psychological, or practical support
• Advice and assistance on accessing historical records
• Advice and assistance on tracing and reuniting families
• Activities relating to the acknowledgement of abuse and providing a meaningful apology to survivors
• Other relevant examples of support provided to survivors.

Funding for emotional, psychological, or practical support

During the reporting period, Kibble received 57 requests for records from individuals or their representative’s seeking information regarding their time in Kibble’s care. In response, Kibble continued to invest in a dedicated team tasked with reviewing all individuals records who have been in its care throughout its history. This investment facilitated practical support for requestors by enabling efficient access, review, and disclosure of records, where such records were held by Kibble, in a prompt and compliant manner.

Furthermore, this initiative continued to allow Kibble to respond promptly to requests from the Redress Team, particularly where verification of records or confirmation of payments was needed in relation to applications submitted under the Redress Scheme. Kibble recognises the critical importance of record management in all contexts and has made ongoing investments in this area, which are actively supported by both the Board and the Chief Executive.

Kibble confirms that, during the reporting period, it has not engaged in direct contact with any survivors of abuse.

Kibble has fully participated in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, complying with all legal obligations, including the provision of Section 21 responses. Additionally, Kibble has attended proceedings and provided evidence as required to support the Inquiry.

Advice and assistance on accessing historical records

During the reporting period, Kibble successfully provided all available records to forty-two requestors. One request remains pending due to the need for further information from the requestor’s representative. For the remaining requests, Kibble was unable to confirm, based on the records available, whether the individuals had previously been in Kibble’s care. In such cases, Kibble offered practical advice and guidance on accessing information from alternative sources, including local authorities.

Throughout this process, Kibble maintained its well-established collaborative relationships with Birthlink and Wellbeing Scotland, both of which support individuals seeking access to historical records.

Kibble ensures transparency in correspondence by explaining that not all records have been preserved over time. In some cases, the available records provide only limited confirmation of a requestor’s care experience, such as dates of admission and/or release.

Where more substantive records are available, Kibble adopts a trauma-informed and sensitive approach to the disclosure process, recognising the potential for distressing or challenging information to be contained within the records.

Advice and assistance on tracing and reuniting families

During the reporting period, Kibble did not receive any requests for support related to tracing and reuniting families.

However, Kibble continues to provide support to requestors seeking records pertaining to family members who were previously in our care and have since passed away. We assist these individuals as they work to learn more about their family history and heritage.

Activities relating to the acknowledgement of abuse and providing a meaningful apology to survivors

Kibble has not been provided with details of any Redress payments made to former residents who were in our care. Additionally, during the reporting period, Kibble has not received any direct contact from individuals seeking an acknowledgment of, or an apology for, abuse experienced during their time in our care.

As part of Kibble’s participation in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, an acknowledgment of historical abuse was formally made. Kibble also issued a public apology to all survivors of abuse within its care.

Other relevant examples of support provided to survivors

Kibble has a longstanding commitment to maintaining connections with individuals who have previously been in our care and who have reached out for support or informal engagement.

Kibble continually enhances its best practices and operates a trauma-informed model of care across all areas of the organisation. In addition, Kibble continues to embrace The Promise, which has been instrumental in shaping the ongoing development of policies and practices relating to the care, safeguarding, and protection of the individuals we support.