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Extenuating circumstances did not excuse the actions of a social worker at the centre of the Victoria Climbi é case, but did "provide a compelling explanation" for them, a tribunal has ruled.

Angella Mairs, a former team manager at Haringey social services department, won her appeal against being banned from working with children by inclusion on the Protection of Children Act List earlier this month.

She was sacked by Haringey Council for professional misconduct and placed on the list over her involvement in the case, which included failing to read Victoria's case file during a meeting with allocated worker Lisa Arthurworrey.

In its full-judgement published this week, the Care Standards Tribunal panel, which heard that Arthurworrey had taken 16 files to the 90-minute meeting, says Mairs had taken on an impossible task.

She had no opportunity to read all the case files before the meeting and therefore the supervision session was "doomed to failure" because of circumstances outside her control, the judgement adds.

Mairs was found guilty of misconduct. But her role was limited, and she was far from being the only person responsible for failures, it says.

However, her behaviour fell below the standard of conduct expected of a team manager. She failed to look at the file during the meeting with Arthurworrey and did not press her for further information about the case when she was given cause to believe that there was still work to be done.