News

Two social workers threatened with dismissal from their jobs over their handling of the case of murdered eight-year old Victoria Climbie secured a postponement of disciplinary hearings against them this week.

Allocated social worker Lisa Arthurworrey and duty and investigation team leader Angella Mairs had been due to attend disciplinary hearings of Haringey Council at the start of September - just days before Herbert Laming was due to start his inquiry into the case.

But high court judge Mr Justice Jackson issued an order this week preventing the council from proceeding until both social workers have been "released from giving evidence to the [Laming] inquiry" - currently expected to be at the end of October.

The council has now said it hopes to complete the hearings by the end of year.

Mr Justice Jackson said the outcome had been dictated by the "timetable of events in conjunction with the medical evidence" which suggested that a disciplinary hearing at this time could jeopardise the ability of Arthurworrey and Mairs to participate fully in the Laming inquiry. Both have been suffering from stress and related ill health.

However, Mr Justice Jackson rejected a request for disciplinary proceedings to be postponed until Lord Laming has published his final report - expected in spring 2002 - and denied suggestions that the Laming inquiry would be prejudiced by the findings of the disciplinary hearing or any subsequent action taken.

He turned down applications from both sides for permission to appeal against his decision.

Victoria Climbie, also known as Anna, was brought from the Ivory Coast to England by her great aunt Marie-Therese Kouao in March 1999 and died 11 months later at the hands of Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning. They were convicted of her murder in January 2001 and received life sentences.

Arthurworrey was suspended by Haringey Council last October. She is accused of failing to discharge her duties as social worker in a proper and competent manner, failing to assess Climbie's needs and take action to promote her well-being, and safeguard her interests.

Mairs was suspended in March 2001 following an internal investigation. She faces allegations of wilfully removing documents from the Climbie case file, and making false and misleading statements to the council's part 8 inquiry into Climbie's death.

Mairs is also accused of failing to meet the standards required of a team manager, including monitoring, developing and evaluating the team's services, and failing to read the case file as departmental policy required.

The allegations against both, if substantiated would amount to gross misconduct and would entitle the council to dismiss them without notice.