Victoria Climbie inquiry may re-open

The first phase of the Victoria Climbie inquiry may be reopened
following the inquiry team’s decision to call for the
original source material used to put together the 1999 joint review
of Haringey social services department, writes Katie
Leason.

In February, when phase one had finished, the inquiry received
an externally assessed review of the Social Services Inspectorate
and the Audit Commission’s original joint review, published
in November 1999.

At that time, the team concluded that there was “no reason why
the authority should be anything but optimistic about its future,
given that it knows what is to be done and how to do it”.

But this was in stark contrast to an SSI investigation into
Haringey’s children’s services, carried out less than a
year after the joint review, which concluded that “unless the
service is appropriately resourced, a difficult situation can only
get worse”.

The inquiry team is currently examining the documents and
considering whether the then leaders of the SSI and Audit
Commission will now need to be called to give evidence.

“If the inquiry decides to reopen phase one it will call all
those people deemed to be relevant to this particular issue,” said
a spokesperson for the inquiry.