News

Lord Laming's final report from the Victoria Climbie inquiry could be delayed following the late submittal of a "potentially important" document from the Social Services Inspectorate, writes Lauren Revans.

The document, an externally assessed review of the original SSI and Audit Commission joint review report published in November 1999, criticised the earlier report for painting an "overly positive picture of Haringey’s social services, particularly its children’s services".

Despite being finalised in April 2001 and promised to the inquiry team in July 2001, the external review was not submitted to the inquiry until the end of February 2002, a week after phase one closed. Phase one will now have to re-open to consider the new document on 9-10 July. Lord Laming's final report had been expected in the autumn.

SSI Chief Inspector Denise Platt has been invited to attend the inquiry to explain the delay. However, she is not expected to be questioned about the joint review process which led to the original conclusion about Haringey social services department that there was "no reason why the authority should be anything but optimistic about its future" as this falls outside the inquiry’s remit.

The inquiry team is concerned that some witnesses relied on the original joint review in their earlier evidence, unaware of the doubts about its validity. Three witnesses, who cannot yet be named, have been re-called to give more evidence, and a further 14 additional witness statements have been sought in the process of trying to assess the document’s significance.