Direct personal response

Under the National Redress Scheme, a person who accepts an offer of redress that includes a Direct Personal Response (DPR) can get an apology or another personal acknowledgement from a senior executive of the institution responsible for the child sexual abuse they suffered.

Once an offer is accepted, the person will get a letter from the National Redress Scheme which includes details of who to contact when they are ready for their DPR to be arranged. The person or their support person, can make the contact.

If a Queensland Government institution has been found responsible for the institutional child sexual abuse a person experienced, and the person makes contact to say they are ready for their DPR to be arranged, a facilitator in the Direct Personal Response Team will work with them and their support person and the responsible institution to arrange the DPR.

A DPR must be provided in one or more of the following ways:

• written letter to the person, and or
• face to face meeting with the person, and or
• another way as agreed with the person.

A DPR may be provided by only one, two or all three of the methods above, as agreed between the person and the responsible Queensland Government institution/s.

Every person’s experience of institutional child sexual abuse is unique and every person’s preferences about how they want to receive their DPR and what would make it meaningful for them are also unique.

Read the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety policy on providing support and delivering a Direct Personal Response.

Facilitator, Direct Personal Response Team

The facilitator will:

• talk with you (and/or your support person), usually over a number of contacts, to discuss your preferences and how to make sure you receive a meaningful and personalised DPR
• provide you with information and support to prepare you for receiving the DPR
• contact the relevant Queensland Government institution to provide information about your DPR preferences
• support the senior executive officer to provide the DPR
• be present to facilitate the DPR for face-to-face meetings.

Support person's role

You can nominate a support person to help you with the DPR process or to arrange the DPR with the DPR facilitator for you.

Your support person can be a family member, friend, a Redress Support Service worker or another professional like a psychologist or counsellor.