Access to supports and services
While the Office of the Commissioner is not a direct service provider, we can provide victims and survivors with information on how to access supports and services.
Supports and services include specialist services, general health services and community and family-based supports.
Services can:
Improve physical or mental health
Help to manage addiction
Provide counselling
Improve literacy or numeracy
Provide education and training or enable individuals to access work
Please contact the Office on +44 (0) 28 9054 4985 or email info@cosica-ni.org if you would like more information on how to access supports and services.
It is important to note that supports and services are available to Northern Ireland victims and survivors of non-recent/historical institutional child abuse whether they live in Northern Ireland or elsewhere, or whether they applied for redress or not.
Provision and coordination of relevant services to victims and survivors
One of the Commissioner’s key responsibilities is to encourage the provision and coordination of relevant services to victims and survivors. This includes consideration of current levels of service provision and identification of gaps.
Many victims and survivors have shared with the Commissioner the challenges and barriers they experience in accessing supports and services.
With that in mind, the Commissioner recently carried out a consultation seeking the views of victims and survivors about their experiences of supports and services and what they would like to see from supports and services in the future.
The findings of the consultation give us a better understanding of the needs of victims and survivors and the Commissioner will use these valuable insights to have conversations with those who commission and provide supports and services.
The consultation report will be published shortly.