Abuse while under Salvation Army care

If you would like to contact The Salvation Army regarding these matters please contact: abuse.support@salvationarmy.org.nz 
You can also phone our Territorial Headquarters in Wellington: (04) 384 5649 and ask for the Royal Commission Response Officer.

Salvation Army Redress information

The Salvation Army in New Zealand has an established process encouraging people to seek redress and move towards resolution for abuse that occurred while in the care of, or otherwise engaged with, The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army seeks to acknowledge the harm and distress experienced by people who have suffered abuse while in its care. We seek to actively engage with survivors and hear their experience in a process of redress. Redress means to remedy, set right and/or compensate.

Overarching Principles

In responding to claims of abuse and in making offers of redress, The Salvation Army will:

• Be focussed on the needs of the survivor.
• Ensure access to our process with appropriate support and facilitation, and with minimal difficulty and cost for survivors.
• Allow survivors to engage in the process in a manner of their own choosing. This may be verbal, written, online or in person.
• Ensure all those involved in interacting with a survivor have a survivor-centric, empathetic approach.
• Listen, offer support and work towards providing resolution, having regard to the nature and impact of abuse and the cultural needs of the survivor.

Redress

Redress is available for survivors who have:

• experienced abuse while in the care of The Salvation Army, or
• The Salvation Army was responsible for the abuser having contact with the person who was abused.

Forms of Redress

The Salvation Army may offer the following in terms of redress:

1. A personal response from The Salvation Army, which may include a verbal and/or written apology to the survivor by a senior officer, if requested. This could also include a face-to-face meeting if helpful to the survivor.

Face-to-face meeting with a senior Salvation Army Officer

If helpful to a survivor an opportunity will be given to the survivor to meet with a senior Salvation Army officer, who will ensure that the process and interactions with the survivor are respectful and empathetic. They will listen to the survivor's story, assure them they have been believed, apologise and acknowledge responsibility. The Salvation Army will acknowledge the seriousness of the impacts of abuse. This ensures that the needs of the survivor are taken into account before the meeting is held. This may include identification of the most appropriate venue and location of the meeting, and an invitation for a support people of the survivor to be present.

Apology

Survivors may seek a verbal and/or written apology. The senior Salvation Army officer will provide a verbal, meaningful and genuine apology at a meeting with the survivor. A written apology may be provided in a form that is meaningful to the survivor.

2. Funding for counselling or psychological care.

Counselling/psychological care

The Salvation Army may offer counselling or psychological care to the survivor, acknowledging the harm resulting from the abuse suffered while in the care of The Salvation Army. The costs of counselling and psychological care offered by the Army will be provided in accordance with the following principles:

• Survivors will be offered flexibility and choice in relation to counselling and psychological care. Survivors will be encouraged to seek support from registered practitioners with appropriate expertise in recovery work with people who have experienced abuse.
• Counselling and psychological care from a professional registered counsellor or therapist will be available for the survivor for up to 12 sessions. Further sessions may be negotiated with the counsellor/therapist and The Salvation Army.

3. Assistance to report abuse to the police, following consultation and agreement with a survivor

4. A monetary sum as some acknowledgement of the seriousness of the harm suffered.

Monetary payments

An offer of compensation may be offered and will take into consideration the impact and harm caused by the abuse:

• Nature of the abuse
• Impact and harm caused by the abuse
• Any additional factors.

5. Access to Salvation Army community-based services and support.

Please be assured that all survivors who engage with The Salvation Army can be assured of a private and confidential process that maintains your dignity and respect.

If you would like to contact The Salvation Army regarding these matters please contact: abuse.support@salvationarmy.org.nz 
You can also phone our Territorial Headquarters in Wellington: (04) 384 5649 and ask for the Royal Commission Response Officer.