News

The Laming report looks set to be delayed following news that phase one of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry is to reopen after the late submission of a "potentially important" document from the Social Services Inspectorate.

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

Despite being 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.

SSI chief inspector Denise Platt has now been invited to attend the inquiry to explain the delay. However, she is not expected to be questioned about the joint review process that led to the original conclusion about Haringey Council 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.

The reconvened phase one will take place on 9-10 July and is expected to delay the publication of the final report.