News

Time to be Heard feedback from the events

Tuesday 1st March 2011

After publication of the Time to be Heard Report, four events were held in early March 2011 to give people information about the Report and the chance to give their views. The presentation which Tom Shaw, the Chair of Time to be Heard gave at the events is available in our document library along with the summary of Scottish Government action and a summary of feedback on the Report from the 150 people who took part in the events.

These events took place in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Participants included over 150 people:- survivors and other former residents (some of whom took part in Time to be Heard), family members, support agencies, service providers (past and present) and others interested in the rights and needs of in-care survivors. The events were designed to give information about Time to be Heard (TTBH) and the initial response by Scottish Government. They also gave a starting point for engaging with stakeholders about future developments.

Key points raised by participants included:

  • Appreciation of the sensitive and thoughtful manner in which the Chair of the TTBH Pilot Forum and the Commissioners carried out their work, and the respectful and considerate way they related to the survivors and other former residents who took part.
  • The need for continuing, wider survivor involvement and consultation
  • Other proposals to help in-care survivors, which were not within the remit of TTBH: ways of ensuring accountability and redress as well as acknowledgment; meeting the SHRC recommendations; time bar issue. Participants felt it was important that these be considered side by side with any roll out of a national confidential forum.
  • Support for families, partners, companions of people who were in care, especially TTBH participants- to minimise ‘collateral damage’.
  • Concern to ensure older people going into residential care aren’t fearful because of their childhood traumas: the importance of understanding the possible effects of in-care abuse as children should be part of recruitment, training and awareness raising for staff who care for older people in residential care.
  • Today’s young people in care: concern and commitment to address any problems for young people in care today especially continuing support for care leavers and the need to maintain funding; excessive child protection concerns which may now be influencing staff not to show affection or comfort; refusal of permission at some institutions to re-visit what had been the young people’s home.
  • Accessing records and resolving any continuing problems for in-care survivors in finding records Dilemma at reconciling confidentiality and public protection: a balance needs to be struck between respecting participants’ rights to confidentiality, data protection and ensuring that abusers are brought to justice. ‘It’s very important that confidentiality doesn’t end up being used to reinforce silence and “you can’t talk about it”….’
  • Funding for support services, training programmes and other supports in a time of economic cutbacks nationally: the need to follow up with supports for participants, like counselling, advocacy, help to locate families etc.

The following documents give additional information on the results of the forum and the presentations made at the events:

Tom Shaw's Presentation March 2011 [PDF - 125kB]
Presentation at Time to be Heard Events March 2011 [PDF - 77kB]

You can view the final Report on the Time to be Heard pilot forum on the Scottish Government website here.