Institutional Abuse Claims & Compensation

For free legal advice call our Abuse Claims Solicitors and we will help you. Ask us about Legal Aid or if we can deal with your claim on a No Win, No Fee basis

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Helping victims of institutional abuse

If you were abused in an institution such as a school, care home or church, we can help you get the justice and support you need, along with compensation.

Your abuser may have escaped criminal prosecution and making a civil claim is the only way you can get justice. You may want compensation, or the institution to take responsibility, or have your day in court. You may want to avoid court, and many of our claims settle in accordance the client’s preference before that stage.

Whatever your circumstances or your objectives, and even if you aren’t sure yet, our specialist Abuse Claims Solicitors can initially give you free and confidential legal advice so you can decide how you want to proceed.

If you get in touch for a free consultation we’ll tell you if you have a compensation claim and then you can decide if you do want to take your claim further. Take your time to make sure you’re clear about the claims process and what this involves. We’ll answer any questions you have, and we can talk about how you can pay for your claim. You may qualify for Legal Aid, depending on your financial situation or we could handle your claim on a No Win, No Fee basis.

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Making an Abuse Claim Against an Institution

Institutional abuse usually happens away from the home. This could be in places such as:

  • Schools
  • Care homes/Group Homes
  • Orphanages
  • Churches
  • Prisons
  • Changing rooms in sports buildings
  • Swimming pools
  • Within the NHS (including hospitals, therapeutic and children’s centres)
  • Emergency Children placements
  • Religious organisations
  • Youth clubs
  • Out of school clubs/activities i.e. cubs, the scouts, cadets
  • Club or Leisure premises, such as scout huts and school halls

In many child abuse cases, people working at these organisations used their position to commit a crime. That means that the organisation could be held legally responsible for the abuse that has happened.

Even if the abuser was a volunteer, rather than an employee, the organisation may still usually be responsible for any abuse they perpetrated.

Why Choose Simpson Millar?

  • Specialist Team

    Our expert team of Institutional Abuse Solicitors understand this extremely complex area of law and can make the process as straightforward and stress-free as possible

  • Opening up the Law

    We'll always talk to you using clear, straightforward language, and we make sure not to use complex legal jargon

  • Accredited Lawyers

    We’re members of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL) and we subscribe to its code of conduct

  • Upfront about your Legal Costs

    We'll be upfront about all legal costs and talk you through a potential No Win, No Fee agreement.

See why you would choose the team at Simpson Millar to help you

Watch our video about how Simpson Millar can help you and why you should choose us to help you with your claim. We are proud of our track record and the comments from our clients which is at the end of the day why we do the work we do.

People We've Helped

Here are just a couple of people we've helped to make a compensation claim for institutional abuse. 

Successful Abuse Claim against a Children’s Home

We represented a man who’d been sexually abused in a charity-run children’s home in the 1970s by a male care worker. Although the care worker had been convicted of abuse in relation to our client and many others, he denied that our client’s psychological problems were all connected to the abuse. By persevering with the case, we secured £75,000 in compensation without our client having to go to Court.

Man Makes Abuse Claim Against Boarding School

Our client suffered sexual abuse by a volunteer worker at a boarding school in the 1980s when he was just seven years old. Following a complaint, the abuser was dismissed from the school, though he continued to arrange contact with our client, as he had a strong hold over him and the sexual abuse continued into adulthood.

The abuser was convicted a year after our client contacted the police, and after we arranged for our client to be assessed by an independent medical expert, the owners of the boarding school agreed to pay our client £18,500 in compensation.

Abuse Claim Against a Children’s Home

We represented a client who was sent to a children’s home at the age of ten, where he spent five years. During this time, he was severely abused by a member of staff who was later convicted. With our help, he was awarded £75,000 in compensation, and he is now optimistic he can finally have closure and get on with his life.

What is the Claims Process?

Before you start, it’s really important that you know exactly what will happen throughout the claims process. This will help you to stay as stress-free as possible through what will probably be an emotional time.

    1

    Free Assessment of Your Enquiry

    One of our specialist Solicitors will review any information you’re happy to provide before deciding whether it’s possible for us to pursue your case.

    2

    Collecting Evidence

    If we take on your claim, we’ll collect any relevant evidence. This could include any records or notes which could have documented what happened at the time. Other useful evidence can include day books, registers and personnel records. We’ll take care of tracking this down.

    3

    Medical Report

    We’ll arrange for you to see an independent medical expert so they can prepare a report for you, which will detail how the abuse has affected you and what treatment or therapy they recommend.

    4

    Details of your Claim

    The records and evidence we gather along with the medical report will help us consider what care and support you may need and how much compensation you could claim.

    5

    Settle Your Claim

    We’ll approach the institution responsible and try to negotiate a settlement with them. Often, institutional abuse claims are settled without going to Court, but if your claim doesn’t settle, don’t worry, we’ll be there with you every step of the way.

How Do I Pay to Make an Institutional Abuse Claim?

Institutional abuse claims are usually paid for by either:

  • Legal Aid, which will be means tested and depend on your financial circumstances
  • A No Win, No Fee arrangement
  • Legal Expenses Insurance, usually as an add on to home or motor insurance policies
  • Private funding, where you pay our legal fees directly

We’ll discuss the best funding options with you before starting your claim

Get in touch, today!

Fill in the form below to get in touch with one of our dedicated team members, or call our team today on: 0808 239 1287

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