Victims & Survivors Charter

Engage

We will work with victims and survivors

We will work with victims, survivors and representative organisations throughout the Inquiry, not only at hearings or major milestones. We recognise lived experience as expertise and will create meaningful opportunities to participate in our work. You will have opportunities to engage directly with the Chair and Panel.

Listen

Your experience is valid, on your terms

We will listen throughout the Inquiry and create regular opportunities for victims and survivors to share their experiences and views. We will continue listening as our work develops and use what we hear to inform our work. What you share belongs to you, we will ensure you feel informed and able to make decisions about sharing

Support

Your wellbeing comes first

We have a duty to help keep people safe. We will follow our safeguarding policy to ensure people are protected. We will offer emotional support to those who engage with us and take steps to minimise the risk of harm through participation in the Inquiry.

Respect

We will treat you as a person

You are not a file, a statistic or a case number. We recognise that every person has a different experience, different needs and different ways of engaging. We will listen without judgement, treat you with dignity and compassion.

Influence

You will help shape our investigations and recommendations

We will test emerging ideas and ask whether they reflect lived experience. Before recommendations are finalised, we will seek your views on whether they are likely to make a meaningful difference. We will explain how your contributions have influenced our work where possible.

Inform

We will keep you informed with clear and honest information

We will keep you updated on the Inquiry’s work and progress through:

• Meetings
• Online events
• Videos and podcasts
• Newsletters and email updates
• Website updates
• “You said, we did” feedback reports

We will communicate clearly, using plain English and avoiding jargon. We will do this even when there is little to report, because we know silence can feel like being ignored.