Climbie inquiry may be reopened

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.

In
February, after 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. 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 are considering whether the then leaders of the SSI
and Audit Commission will need to be called to give
evidence.

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