Closing Date to Register to Provide Testimony to the Truth Recovery Independent Panel

The Independent Panel’s focus is on the years between 1922 to 1995, and its findings and recommendations will help inform the future Public Inquiry.

They would welcome hearing from anyone who spent time in any of these institutions, a family member of someone who spent time in one of these institutions, or anyone who worked / volunteered in any of these institutions. They are also taking testimonies on the pathways and practices in which these institutions were involved, including adoption, fostering and the care system.

The Independent Panel have developed a sensitive and trauma-informed approach to testimony-gathering.  Their specially trained Testimony Facilitators will ensure the engagement is respectful and non-adversarial to all victim-survivors’ who share their lived experiences.

To date, over 140 people have made their testimony available to the Independent Panel.

The Independent Panel is working towards its Final Report, which is due to be published later this year.  

They are now asking people to register their interest to provide testimony before the 1 May 2025, to ensure their voices are heard in its investigation. You can do this by emailing testimony@independentpanel.org.uk or by phoning 028 9052 0263.

Speaking about the deadline to give testimony, Truth Recovery Independent Panel Co-Chairs, Professor Leanne McCormick and Professor Sean O’Connell said:

“We want to make people aware of the upcoming deadline so that victims-survivors, family members or anyone with experience or information about any of institutions on our list (or about the related pathways and practices in which they were involved), has time to contact us if they are interested in sharing their experience.

"We also welcome testimony from anyone who can provide information about other organisations or agencies that provided a pathway to the forced separation of a birth mother from an infant child.

“To gain the fullest picture possible, we continue to appeal to members of the Protestant community or anyone with information relating to Protestant-run homes in our remit to consider coming forward. We are also appealing to the diaspora across the UK, and internationally in America, Canada, and Australia to make their voice heard.

“We have a specialist Testimony Team, who have been trained to support people in sharing their experiences. We encourage all those with knowledge or experience of the institutions or their pathways and practices, to contact us.”

As part of the Independent Panel’s work, information guides to support people on their journey to access their records, are now available in hard copy. The guides are groundbreaking in providing information on relevant institutions and public bodies; what records exist and how they can be accessed.

The Co-Chairs added:

“These guides will be useful to victims-survivors seeking personal information held about them as well as of benefit to professional users.

“You can request a printed version by emailing secretariat@independentpanel.org.uk or, alternatively, you can find the online version on the Independent Panel’s website.”

The Independent Panel will also make recommendations on a permanent independent archive of records related to historical institutions, the individuals who spent time in them, adoption records, and other records relating to children in state care.

A consultation event will be held next Thursday 27th February, with an in-person session between 2pm-3.30pm at the Europa Hotel, and an online session from 6pm-7.30pm. These sessions will be an opportunity to discuss ideas for the Truth Recovery Archive, with views sought on how it should look and be managed; what records it should hold and how the records should be accessed.

A survey is also available to fill out online until 20th of March.