Contact Between Inquiry Team Members and Witnesses

In the spirit of the openness, promised by chairman Lord Laming at the launch of the Inquiry in May 2001, the following is a list outlining details of previous contact between inquiry team members and witnesses.

• Lord Laming had contact with two witnesses, prior to the Inquiry.
  
  Former Director of Brent social services Mike Boyle was once employed in an area office in Hertfordshire when Lord Laming was the Director of Hertfordshire social services.

  Meanwhile, Assistant Director of Ealing social services Mimi Konigsberg was an inspector with the Social Services Inspectorate when Lord Laming was the Chief Inspector.

• Inquiry assessor Detective Superintendent John Fox has come into contact with four witnesses.

  In 2000, Mr Fox was asked to chair a sub-group of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Homicide Working-Group in order to produce a set of guidelines into the investigation of infant deaths. About 25 experts were consulted in connection with the project, one of whom was Detective Chief Inspector Phillip Wheeler, a recognised authority on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

  In May 2001, Mr Fox telephoned several experts, including Mr Wheeler, concerning a shaken baby death, which had occurred in Hampshire. During this conversation, Mr Fox inquired as to the identity of other experts on the subject and about Mr Wheeler's research on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Mr Wheeler is on the National Crime Faculty List and senior investigating officers are expected to consult those named on it.

  Mr Wheeler gave a lecture on his shaken baby work to Hampshire constabulary child protection detectives at a conference organised by Hampshire constabulary child protection unit in July 2001, which was chaired by Mr Fox.

  In 1997, while a member of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Mr Fox met Commander David Kendrick on one occasion. They had a discussion prior to the writing of a report, for the Home Secretary, about the reasons why the police were prosecuting fewer offenders.
  Mr Fox met Detective Chief Superintendent David Cox during 1998 on two or three occasions when they were both members of the ACPO Homicide Working-Group.

  Mr Fox came into contact with Director of Brent social services Jenny Goodall in 1991, in connection with operational issues, when she worked as a social services manager in Southampton.

• Inquiry assessor Dr Nellie Adjaye has had contact with two witnesses.

  Dr Adjaye had contact with North Middlesex hospital consultant paediatrician Dr Mary Rossiter in 1980-81, while Dr Adjaye was a paediatric registrar at St Ann's hospital, Tottenham. During the course of her on-call commitments, Dr Adjaye, as the registrar, was expected to cover a group of three hospitals, which included Chase Farm, North Middlesex and St Ann's. Dr Rossiter was a junior consultant at North Middlesex, during this period, and Dr Adjaye occasionally sought her views on difficult cases when their on-call nights coincided.

  Dr Adjaye also had contact with Central Middlesex hospital consultant paediatrician Dr Ruby Schwartz. Between 1984-87, Dr Adjaye was based at St Mary's medical school as a lecturer/senior registrar in community paediatrics, but with an office in the community at Paddington Green children's hospital. St Mary's, St Charles' hospital and Paddington Green children's hospital formed the cluster of hospitals that served the child population in the London boroughs of Paddington and North Kensington. During that period, Dr Schwartz was a senior registrar at St Charles'. Teaching programmes and ward rounds were sometimes organised for the medical students and junior staff together. On such occasions, Dr Adjaye sometimes worked with Dr Schwartz.

• Inquiry assessor Nigel Richardson worked as a childcare consultant with Social Information Systems Limited, between August 1985 and February 1990. One of the company's directors was Executive Director of Ealing housing and social services Norman Tutt.
  
  

• Inquiry assessor Donna Kinnair has discovered that Bernadine Thomas, a second cousin, works for Haringey social services. Mrs Kinnair has only spoken to Ms Thomas twice in the last five years and only on the second occasion found out about her links with Haringey.

  Haringey has subsequently confirmed, to the Inquiry, that Ms Thomas currently works at its Hornsey office as a Quality Protects Practice Manager. The authority has also stated that, between June 1998 and July 2000, Ms Thomas worked as a temporary, and then permanent, member of the Intake and Assessment team. During this period she was managed - at least part of the time - by Angella Mairs.

• Inquiry junior counsel Caroline Gibson has represented Haringey council social work manager Carole Baptiste. Ms Gibson will take no part in any aspect of the Inquiry that involves Ms Baptiste.
  
  

• ADDITIONAL NOTE: Lord Laming would also like it known that he has had previous contact with Marcia Saunders. Ms Saunders is not a witness, but has an interest in the Inquiry, in her capacity as chairperson of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey health authority. Between 1985 and 1990, Ms Saunders was employed by Hertfordshire social services - during which time Lord Laming was director of the service.