Lawyer accuses council of ‘pressuring applicants’ in child abuse redress scheme

A lawyer working on compensation for victims of systematic child abuse in Lambeth care homes has accused the council’s lawyers of pressuring applicants to settle cases prematurely.

According to Lambeth council, 2,240 victims of the child abuse that took place between the 1950s and 1980s received more than £100million as part of its £144million redress scheme, which closed in January 2022.

But Amy Clowrey, of the Switalskis law firm, which has worked with more than 300 redress recipients since the scheme opened in 2018, has accused the council’s lawyers of “forcing” members of her firm to “essentially harass” applicants into responding or accepting an offer.

Ms Clowrey said: “It feels as though Lambeth are pressuring applicants to settle cases in order to bring their financial liability to an end.”

The claims have been levelled against the one of the redress scheme’s solicitors which represents Lambeth council.

Despite the scheme concluding almost three years ago, Switalskis has 11 ongoing redress applications. Ms Clowrey described these as “complex” due to the applicants’ “significant” mental health difficulties, capacity issues or substance abuse issues.

Ms Clowrey said: “Within the past six months I have received threats of scheme closure both on bank holiday weekends and when I have been on holiday, which has meant that I have had to hound one particular client on an almost daily basis to ensure that we did not miss the deadline Lambeth had imposed.”

Ms Clowrey said this caused the applicant “huge anxiety and distress” but said her complaints were “dismissed”.

A spokesman from Lambeth council said: “These are not claims we recognise. The council has been fully committed to the Redress Scheme throughout with a huge amount of energy and resources put into it because of its importance.”

Ms Clowrey sent a formal complaint to Lambeth council after receiving a deadline of three and a half hours to respond, despite having waited almost a month for a reply from Lambeth regarding the case.

The complaint said: “We are trying to do our best by applicants but these tactics are making our job increasingly more difficult .

“Frankly, Lambeth is throwing its weight around, making it clear to applicants that they have no consideration for their welfare.”

Ms Clowrey has also raised issues with the council’s apology letters which she says are taking much longer to be sent to the remaining victims, leaving many feeling as though they are “unimportant” and have been “brought off”.

She said: “If Lambeth was dedicated to righting the wrongs of the past, the scheme should be truly open to all those who have applied until the last survivor’s case has concluded. 

“It’s a hugely disappointing conclusion to the scheme, which could have been the first successful scheme of its type, but has failed survivors.”

Ms Clowrey, has previously worked alongside the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (SOSA), an organisation which represents and supports victims of the child abuse scandal.

In June, founder of SOSA, Dr Raymond Stevenson, 60, from Brixton, accused the council of forcing about 150 victims into accepting “unfair” compensation offers throughout the redress scheme. 

Just last month, human rights lawyer Imran Khan KC announced that he will be mounting a judicial review of the council’s redress scheme, which he described as “neither simple nor effective”.

A Lambeth council spokesman said: “We make a sincere and heartfelt apology to all victims and survivors of abuse and neglect while in Lambeth’s care in the borough’s former children’s homes.

“Lambeth council established the Redress Scheme after extensive consultation with survivors and in the absence of a Government scheme to compensate those who tragically experienced abuse. It honours our pledge to face up to the mistakes of the past.

“In May our request to borrow further funds to meet the large number of applications was approved by the Government – which again demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the scheme throughout.”

Pictured top: Cottage at Shirley Oaks, one of the council’s children homes where abuse took place (Picture: SOSA)