Scotland's Redress Scheme: combined annual report 2025

4.22 Salvation Army

The Salvation Army believes it is important to be honest about the past and acknowledge that our history includes some people in our care who did not get the safety and support they needed. We understand the importance of making sure that people who have experienced abuse have their voices heard, receive a proper apology, and where appropriate, financial redress.

The Salvation Army has established processes in place to ensure that people who have experienced abuse have an opportunity to seek financial redress from The Salvation Army. This process also includes working with the police to secure a conviction whenever possible.

We are not a contributor to the current redress scheme although we have had regular engagement with the Scottish government regarding the redress scheme and support all queries that arise as part of this redress system.

Advice and assistance on accessing historical records

The Salvation Army is fully committed to ensuring people have access to their records as this can help them understand more about traumatic periods in their lives. Records are made available in a sensitive and pastoral manner, in line with the UK data protection law. Where appropriate, we provide access via social workers and adoption support agencies.

Some historic records have not survived but those that have are maintained at our International Heritage Centre.

Advice and assistance on tracing and reuniting families

The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service helps to reconcile family members who have lost contact with each other and facilitates the first contact or rebuilding of these relationships.

The tracing specialists know that contact can be lost for many reasons, and searching for a relative is often an emotional experience. They provide a compassionate and non-judgmental service with support throughout the searching process. However, the focus of this department is about family reconciliation - queries in relation to the Scottish redress system would be passed to the Safeguarding Department and our International Heritage Centre.

Activity relating to the provision of an apology

The Salvation Army acknowledges that there are times when we have not provided the care that people would expect and deserve. It’s important to acknowledge failings and so The Salvation Army will offer an apology if there has been wrongdoing on our part. Over the years, this has taken a number of different forms, including public and face-to-face apologies to survivors of abuse.

On some occasions, we have invited survivors to input on our safeguarding procedures to help us learn and improve our systems going forward. Our aim is to demonstrate our commitment to not just acknowledging past wrongs but learning from them. Placing the survivor voice at the heart of our processes improves our systems and demonstrates our commitment to listen and learn from them. We have been informed by survivors that it has been helpful to meet with us to share their experiences.

Emotional, psychological or practical support

Reporting current or historical abuse takes incredible courage. The Salvation Army has a Wellbeing Department tasked with ensuring that therapy and support is in place for those who need it. Survivors of abuse may be offered access to officers trained in counselling or may be provided with external counselling or therapeutic support, where appropriate.

Our current safeguarding systems

Our safeguarding policies are clear that The Salvation Army believes that every human being is created and valued by God and should be given respect, dignity, and neighbourly love.

We are committed to ensuring that officers and staff know how to recognise and respond to possible abuse and that victims feel supported in coming forward to report abuse.

Learning from and implementing good safeguarding practice means that:

• Care, support staff, officers and volunteers are recruited according to the principles of safer recruitment, which includes reference checking and Disclosure Scotland checks, including PVG scheme membership where applicable.
• Service User risk assessments are conducted on entry into the Service, are updated regularly and in response to the emergence of new risks.
• Safeguarding Leads are in place at each programme/service, supplemented by Deputy Safeguarding Leads to provide cover in the event of absence and to allow complainants to circumvent Safeguarding Leads where they may be implicated in a safeguarding concern.
• All staff and volunteers receive safeguarding training where it may be relevant to their role. Further training and induction is mandated to relevant personnel and this includes training in Trauma-Informed Conduct to enable staff to provide trauma-informed care and support to Service Users within residential settings.
• Adult Service Users are treated according to the principles of adult safeguarding, taking into account capacity, personal autonomy and choice.
• Accessible safeguarding information is made available to Service Users.
• Services collaborate with statutory partners on placement and ongoing care plans for young people in supported accommodation.
• A system of internal auditing operates to ensure that safeguarding and wider support systems are implemented effectively.
• An incident reporting system is in place which enables services to escalate safeguarding concerns to the Salvation Army Safeguarding Department.
• The Salvation Army Safeguarding Department provides case work support for current incidents, risk assessment support for blemished disclosure checks, in addition to advice and guidance on safeguarding matters, as well as reviews of non-recent allegations.
• Safeguarding is a standing item on management meeting agendas.
• A weekly national Salvation Army Safeguarding Board meeting is held to review cases, policy and training updates, etc.
• Deep dive reviews of some of the serious cases are selected by the Safeguarding Committee and an independent professional is commissioned to conduct a ‘deep dive’ review. Recommendations for practice improvement are subsequently shared and implemented.