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Paragraphs: 17.1 - 17.5
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17.1
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The Terms of Reference set for this Inquiry were not restricted
to looking back in order to understand and evaluate the reasons
for the failure of services to protect Victoria. The Inquiry was
also required to look forward and make recommendations on how the
safeguards for children might be strengthened in order to prevent
a tragedy of this kind happening again.
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17.2
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To meet this challenge, the Inquiry organised a series of seminars,
chaired by Neil Garnham QC. All the seminars were constructed around
the essential elements of good childcare practice, and the processes
designed to secure the safety and well-being of children.
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17.3
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An important aspect of the seminars was ensuring that the Inquiry's
recommendations would not be based solely on a single tragic case,
or on the performance of services in a part of north London. Therefore,
those invited to participate were drawn from across the country
and from a wide range of professional backgrounds. The wide-ranging
experience of participants, and their commitment to serving children
and families, was reflected both in the breadth and in the quality
of the discussion at each seminar.
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17.4
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A list of those who contributed can be found in Annex 5. I take
this opportunity to thank each one of them, and their employers,
for helping the Inquiry. This section cannot do justice to the value
of their contributions. Many participants also went to the trouble
of submitting written material, which was greatly appreciated. This
material and the seminar transcripts can be found on the Inquiry's
website ( www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk
).
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17.5
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The first half of this section summarises key elements of the discussion
under each of the seminar headings. It became apparent that although
five topics had been selected for discussion, there was a marked
degree of overlap between them. The level of agreement about how
to improve services for children and families was striking. In recognition
of this, overarching themes for improvement arising from the seminars
are taken up in the second half of this section, and recommendations
are made in relation to them.
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