Scheme Administrators will be appointed to administer the Scheme, to check the applications and associated evidence, to make requests for missing information, to provide information to and act as secretariat to the Decision and Appeal Panels, to liaise with applicants and their legal advisors.
All applications will be considered on up to three occasions as follows
i. The Initial Decision
ii. The Review Decision
iii. The Appeal Decision
Initial and Review Decisions will be made by members of an appointed Decision Panel which will comprise three panel members.
Any appeals will be heard by members of an appointed Appeal Panel which will comprise three panel members. Any Appeal Panel will not involve a member from the Decision Panel who has considered the application which is the subject of the Appeal.
All panel decisions will be determined by reference to written information only.
Applicants whose claims are agreed pursuant to the Scheme are entitled to payment of legal costs in accordance with specified banding.
Applicants who have prior to 1 July 2021 already begun proceedings against the Diocese will be entitled to recover the costs incurred on a specified basis.
Time Scales
One of the purposes of the Scheme is to provide swift redress to Applicants. Examples of the maximum time period for a claim progressing are detailed below.
Example 1 – Application made and resolved following the initial panel review
Application submitted 1 October 2021
Initial Decision by 12 November 2021
Acceptance of offer by 12 December 2021
Payment of redress by 26 December 2021
Example 2 – Application made and resolved following a review and appeal
Application submitted 1 October 2021
Initial Decision by 12 November 2021
Counter-offer or review request by 12 December 2021
Review Decision by 11 January 2022
Appeal submitted by 22 February 2022
Appeal Decision by 5 April 2022
Acceptance of offer by 5 May 2022
Payment of redress by 19 May 2022