Lambeth Council’s cabinet will consider extending its redress scheme for victims of abuse at its former children’s homes for en extra two years next week.

The Lambeth Children’s Homes Redress Scheme is compensating survivors of Shirley Oaks, homes which were open from the 1930s until the 1980s and 1990s.

It was launched in January last year when it was expected that the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), public hearings into children in the care of Lambeth, would have taken place before the scheme’s scheduled closing date, on January 2, 2020.

But the Lambeth hearings are now scheduled to take place between April and November next year, with a report expected in 2021.

And more people are expected to come forward as a result of the hearings, a Lambeth Council spokesman said.

The scheme provides individual redress of up to £125,000.

It also includes a payment of up to £10,000 for anyone who lived in the network of homes.

The scheme is already estimated to have cost £53million, with 1,250 compensation applications received by the council.

Council leader Jack Hopkins said: “We’re working hard to ensure we can do everything within our powers to compensate survivors, and I will be supporting this extension because I believe it’s the right thing to do.

“A lot of extra work has been done over the last six-months to listen to survivors and ensure the scheme works for them.

“That includes running sessions with people who have been compensated to get feedback on their experience and working with the National Association for People Abused in Childhood to make sure information is easy to understand.

“We are determined to continue with this work. Our former children’s home residents were very badly let down, and the Redress Scheme is incredibly important in not only compensating people, but publicly acknowledging the impact on those that suffered abuse.

“I want to apologise to abuse survivors on behalf of the council.”

Former Lambeth Council leader Lib Peck has also apologised to the victims on behalf of the council.

The council made a deal with the government to borrow £100m for the scheme, which has meant that council tax will not have to be raised.

Survivors are also offered council-funded independent legal representation, a formal apology from the council, a meeting with a senior council representative and free counselling support.

There is also specialist advice available to help with housing, welfare, benefits, further education and employment.

The authority has handed 200,000 pages of relevant documents and files to IICSA as part of its investigation.