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July 2002 Archived News
Thursday 1 August 2002
INQUIRY EVIDENCE-GATHERING NOW COMPLETE
THE VICTORIA CLIMBIÉ Inquiry has now finished taking evidence.
Phases One and Two of the Inquiry were closed yesterday and no
more submissions will be accepted.
In total, the Inquiry received almost 3,800 documents, which together
run to well over 43,000 pages.
Phase One of the Inquiry, which looked specifically at the circumstances
leading to Victoria’s death, opened on Wednesday 26 September
and its last public session was on Thursday 11 July.
Phase Two, which assessed the child protection system in general,
opened on Friday 15 March and the last of five seminars, attended
by expert contributors, was on Friday 26 April.
Evidence, for both phases was being accepted, in writing, up to
5pm yesterday.
Lord Laming has now begun the task of writing his final Inquiry
report and will hand it to the Government at the earliest possible
stage.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Head of Communications
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
Tuesday 16 July 2002
INQUIRY TAKES LAST EVIDENCE
THE VICTORIA CLIMBIÉ Inquiry has announced that it will
take no more evidence after Wednesday 31 July.
The Inquiry’s public hearings finished last week after just
over two days of hearings, following the reconvening of Phase One
of the Inquiry.
The evidence-gathering sessions for both Phases One and Two of
the Inquiry are now complete. And the only evidence the Inquiry
will still consider accepting, up to the end of July, will be written
submissions.
In Phase One, which looked specifically at the circumstances leading
to Victoria’s death, the Inquiry heard oral evidence from 158
witnesses. In Phase Two, which assessed the child protection system
in general, the Inquiry received oral submissions from 121 expert
contributors.
All-in-all, the Inquiry has received 3,760 documents, which run
to 43,000 pages. Haringey council, alone, sent in around 1,623 documents.
Almost 395 public submissions have, so far, been sent in for Phase
Two - some of which will be included as evidence.
The Inquiry’s last hearing took place on Thursday 11 July,
when final submissions were made to Inquiry chairman Lord Laming.
The public sessions had to be reconvened after the Inquiry was sent
an important document, three weeks following the closure of its
original hearings, by the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI).
The document is an internal review of an earlier report into the
state of Haringey social services, which declared - in November
1999 - that service-users in the borough were “generally well
served”. However, the second document comments on the earlier
one saying it presented “an overly positive picture of Haringey’s
social services, particularly children’s services”.
In his final submission,
Inquiry counsel Neil Garnham QC posed a series of neutral questions
that he thought Lord Laming should consider - in relation to the
joint review - before going on to frame his final recommendations.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Head of Communications
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
Thursday 4 July 2002
INQUIRY ANNOUNCES WITNESSES FOR RECONVENED HEARINGS
THE VICTORIA CLIMBIÉ Inquiry has today announced the witnesses
it will call to its reconvened Phase One public hearings on Tuesday-Wednesday
9-10 July.
The public sessions, which will be held between 10am and 6pm, are
being reconvened by the Inquiry after it was sent an important document,
three weeks following the closure of its original hearings, by the
Social Services Inspectorate (SSI).
The document is an internal review of an earlier report into the
state of Haringey social services, which declared - in November
1999 - that service-users in the borough were “generally well
served”.
However, the second document comments on the earlier one saying
it presented “an overly positive picture of Haringey’s
social services, particularly children’s services”.
The initial report was referred to by a number of witnesses from
Haringey in their evidence to the Inquiry. It was produced by the
Joint Review (JR), a body that assesses social services departments
for value for money and quality of service. The second document
was commissioned by the SSI and Audit Commission, which oversee
the JR. It was finalised in April 2001 but not sent to the Inquiry
until 26 February, when the hearing of the evidence had finished
on 4 February.
Inquiry Chairman Lord Laming has invited Denise Platt CBE, SSI
Chief Inspector, to attend the proceedings on the morning of 9 July
to explain why the second document was handed to the Inquiry after
the public hearings.
The Inquiry will start its sessions-proper, on that day, by hearing
evidence from Dennis Simpson, of the Audit Commission, who co-wrote
the initial report. His evidence will be followed, at 2pm, by evidence,
via video link, from Jenny Gray of the Social Services Inspectorate,
who co-wrote the review of the report.
On 10 July, Mr Simpson will continue his evidence to completion.
Then, David Prince, of the Audit Commission, who wrote the review
with Ms Gray will appear. Lastly, evidence will be taken from Carol
Wilson, Assistant Director of Haringey’s Children’s Services
when Victoria was in the borough - July 1999-February 2000.
Contact:
Paul Rees, Head of Communications
Tel: 020 7972 1999
Fax: 020 7972 1981
Mobile: 07884 473 355
paul.rees@victoriaclimbie.org
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