10 years on from Victoria’s death, what’s changed?

By Molly Garboden on February 24, 2010 in Child safeguarding, Children, Workforce

Children’s social workers say many of the reforms introduced since the death of Victoria Climbié 10 years ago have improved information sharing, but they have highlighted ongoing problems with computer systems.

In an exclusive poll on Community Care’s website, 70% of the 100-plus respondents believed the government was right to split social services in England to create dedicated children’s services departments,

In addition, just over half (51%) thought information sharing between social care and health services had improved over the past 10 years, while 60% said it had improved between children’s social care and police.

However, almost 60% did not think the integrated children’s system had made it easier for children’s services to collect and record information about children in need.

One-third said they did not know if the ContactPoint database had improved safeguarding, while 19% said they believed it had and 49% said it had not.

Victoria Climbié died, aged eight, 10 years ago, on 25 February 2000, after being abused by her great-aunt and her boyfriend in Haringey.

Victoria’s death prompted Lord Laming’s inquiry and led to the Every Child Matters programme of reforms and the Children Act 2004.